According to The Punch, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday jokingly referred to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu as “Iya Alakara” during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House in Abuja.
The remark came as the President acknowledged dignitaries before delivering his address at the event, which brought together members of the Presidential Press Corps, government officials and other invited guests.
“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” Tinubu said, drawing laughter from the audience.
The comment appeared to reference recent public reactions to the First Lady’s remarks on government support for small businesses. During an earlier engagement, Oluremi Tinubu said ventures such as selling akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli require relatively little start-up capital, explaining that the Federal Government provides grants rather than loans to support entrepreneurs.
Her comments sparked widespread public debate, with Nigerians expressing differing views on the examples she cited. A video of the dinner, later shared by Aso Rock TV on YouTube, showed the President smiling as he made the light-hearted remark before continuing his speech.
