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President Bola Tinubu drew laughter at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja after playfully referring to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” (meaning Mama Akara Seller). The light-hearted remark came while the President was acknowledging dignitaries during his speech and was widely seen as a humorous reference to the recent public debate sparked by the First Lady’s comments about small-scale businesses.
The playful nickname follows the controversy surrounding Oluremi Tinubu’s remarks encouraging women to engage in small businesses, including selling akara (bean cakes), which generated mixed reactions on social media and in political circles. Rather than avoid the issue, President Tinubu jokingly embraced the conversation by affectionately introducing his wife as “my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” prompting laughter and applause from guests at the event.
The humorous exchange quickly gained attention online, with many Nigerians interpreting it as an attempt by the President to ease tensions surrounding the earlier controversy. Videos of the moment circulated widely across social media, with supporters praising the President’s sense of humour while critics continued to debate the substance of the First Lady’s earlier comments.
