President Bola Tinubu on Thursday drew laughter at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja when he playfully referred to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” while acknowledging dignitaries at the event.
The President made the light-hearted remark during his protocol speech at the State House, smiling as he introduced his wife before the audience.
“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” Tinubu said, eliciting laughter from guests.
The nickname comes weeks after the First Lady’s remarks encouraging Nigerian women to explore small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn, kuli-kuli, and other petty trading through the Renewed Hope Initiative generated widespread public debate.
Following the backlash, Mrs. Tinubu clarified that the empowerment programme was designed to support a wide range of petty traders, including sellers of tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain, and other small businesses, stressing that the initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of low-income entrepreneurs across the country.
The President’s remark was widely interpreted as a humorous reference to the earlier controversy surrounding the First Lady’s comments.
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