President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, amidst the cancellation of his 72nd birthday celebration and non-placement of adverts on newspapers, has promised to tender an apology later to media houses.
Tinubu, through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, conveyed this on Tuesday, addressing the fallout from his decision to redirect birthday donations to charity organizations and forego advertisements in newspapers and radio stations.
The directive came from Tinubu’s recognition of the national mood, particularly in light of recent security challenges and losses suffered by the military and police in Delta State and other parts of Nigeria.
Tinubu emphasized his commitment to prioritizing national interests over personal celebrations, stating, “such ceremony will be out of tune with the national mood.” He further expressed his reluctance to have government agencies use public funds for congratulatory adverts on his behalf.
Acknowledging the financial impact on newspapers expecting revenue from birthday adverts, Tinubu empathetically remarked, “I know they will be angry with me. But I will apologize to them later.”
