Tinubu’s Aide Clarifies ‘Capital Punishment’ Comment on Anti-Tinubu Video by Corps Member

Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, has clarified controversial remarks he made regarding the conduct of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member. His clarification follows backlash over a comment in which he suggested the corps member’s behavior should attract “capital punishment under NYSC.”

Ajayi’s comments stemmed from a Facebook post in which he responded to a video by a serving corps member in Lagos. The corps member, in a TikTok video, had expressed her frustration over the rising cost of commodities in Nigeria, criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s government for not addressing the issue. In the video, she described the president’s government as “terrible” and called for action, lamenting the tough situation Nigerians were facing.

In his initial post, Ajayi had written that the corps member’s conduct should attract “capital punishment” under the NYSC, a statement that was widely misunderstood and drew significant criticism online.

In his clarification, Ajayi explained that his use of the phrase “capital punishment” was metaphorical, referring to the harshest penalty within the NYSC—expulsion from the program. He explained that the comment was not intended to advocate for any form of physical harm but rather pointed to the highest form of disciplinary action under the NYSC rules.

“The mob gets their oxygen from misrepresentations and deliberate mischief,” Ajayi said. “What I meant by ‘capital punishment’ was that her actions should attract the highest punishment under the NYSC scheme, which is expulsion.”

Ajayi further noted that he had clarified his statement in a follow-up comment, where he explained the context of the phrase, but this clarification was largely ignored. He emphasized that there is no death penalty under NYSC law and reiterated his commitment to the values of dignity, discipline, and respect promoted by the NYSC.

Ajayi also reiterated the importance of the NYSC as a “historic and treasured national programme,” which he argued should not be undermined by indiscipline. He called for a collective adherence to the values and regulations of the scheme to ensure its continued success.