Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, has downplayed the recent “Not our mother” chants against her by college students in Delta State, south-south Nigeria.
The authority of the Delta College of Nursing Sciences on Thursday queried a student, Osato Edobor, who posted an embarrassing clip of the incident on TikTok. However, the query was quickly withdrawn after the State’s Commissioner for Health, Joseph Onojaeme, intervened.
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The college would have likely expelled or suspended the student.
Mrs Tinubu was in Asaba, Delta capital, on Tuesday, 25 March, to distribute 10,000 professional kits (Crocs and scrubs) to midwives in Nigeria’s south-south region.
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A song ‘Na our mama be dis’ was rendered in Pidgin English as a part of the welcome formalities for the Nigerian First Lady.
“Na our mama be dis-oo, we no get anoda one,” the lead singer’s voice could be heard in the video background.
“Na your mama be this-oo,” the student nurses at the event centre chorused, apparently refusing to accept Mrs Tinubu as their “mother”.
The clip, which was embarrassing to the Nigerian government, has since gone viral on Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms.
‘Spontaneous and playful twist’
“While the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria respects the right of institutions to uphold discipline, it is important to recognise that students, in moments of excitement, often express themselves in a light-hearted and jovial manner,” Mrs Tinubu’s spokesperson, Busola Kukoyi said in a statement on Friday.
Mrs Tinubu described the students’ action as a “spontaneous and playful twist to the welcome song.”
“The Office of the First Lady believes that educational institutions should foster an environment where students feel safe to express themselves while maintaining decorum.
“The First Lady’s visit was intended to inspire and uplift healthcare professionals, and it is our hope that this event remains a positive and motivating experience for all involved.
“We trust that the Delta State College of Nursing Sciences will handle this matter with understanding and fairness, ensuring that students continue to thrive in an environment that balances discipline with free expression,” the statement said.
The clip and the reactions that followed it reflect the growing discontentment against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Inibehe Effiong, a Lagos-based human rights lawyer, said it was “sickening” that the college queried the student.
“The students refused to assert that Senator Oluremi Tinubu is their mother. How did that give rise to a query? Is Tinubu’s wife the mother of the students?
“Instead of focusing on improving the quality of learning, they decided to issue a silly query,” Mr Effiong said in his reaction to the college withdrawing the query.
“Withdrawal of the query is not sufficient, the Provost of the College should be punished,” he added.
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