The Presidency has condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for supporting National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member Ushie Uguamaye, also known as Raye, after her viral video criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Atiku, in a statement, had praised Raye’s courage, describing her as a “shining emblem of Nigerian youth” and commending her for speaking truth to power despite opposition.
“I deeply admire her boldness and wisdom—her fearless resolve to speak truth to power, undeterred by the weight of opposition,” it read in part.
Reacting on Sunday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed Atiku’s stance, calling it “poor politics” for a former Vice President to support what he described as indiscipline.
Ajayi, in a Facebook post, wrote: “A former Vice President of a country and perennial presidential contestant who will likely run to be President at 80, in another two years from now, should not be seen supporting and celebrating bad behaviour and indiscipline by a Corps member who breached her code of conduct.
“This is not a matter of free speech and right of expression. NYSC is a regimented service with strict code of behaviour.
“Members of the armed forces, police, paramilitary institutions and Civil servants are citizens with rights and freedom of expression, yet their rules of engagement forbid them from publicly speaking against government.
“Anyone that wants to be a deviant should be ready to face the consequences. It is poor politics for a former Vice President of Nigeria – a symbol of authority to endorse any form of bad behaviour no matter how convenient.”