Nigerians nick named Tinubu as ‘Pharaoh’, ‘Emir of hardship’ over petrol price hike

In a wave of discontent sweeping through Nigeria, citizens are expressing their frustrations over President Bola Tinubu’s latest petrol pump price hike, describing the country’s leader as ‘Pharaoh’ and ‘Emir of hardship’. On Wednesday, NNPC increased the petrol pump price to N1030. Venting their anger and frustrations, X users flooded the comment section of Peoples Gazette’s story regarding the new fuel price hike to excoriate the president. An X user, @FitRich6, posted Mr Tinubu’s photo, saying, “The increment continues until Nigerians realise and call him Sheikh T-Pain instead of T-Pain…  Or you think it’s easy to be a Sheikh reciting this in a unique way.”

Another X user, @Dande_abdulaziz said, “To be sincere, T-Pain is a disaster. He couldn’t fulfillany of the promises he made during his campaigns, rather subjecting the citizens to hardship and calling an economic reform. “T.pain is carrying out his responsibility which is to cause you pain,” @iam_paulash wrote, while @ogbuka_ said. “Fuel still sells for ₦52 in Libya buh let’s keep tolerating T-pain anti-people impunity.” In a tweet on Thursday, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar joined the list of Nigerians calling Mr Tinubu TPain when he took a dig at the president, saying, “It is even more worrying that T-pain is undisturbed by the hardship in the country.”

Some called Mr Tinubu Pharaoh, comparing the sufferings of Nigerians to the Israelites’ under the yoke of the Egyptian Pharaoh. @MrJohnDir said, “Pharaoh still better pass @officialABAT. Even during Nigerian civil war, our parents didn’t go through this hard time.” Another X user, @Joshua19726468, said, “Pharaoh still dey learn from Nigeria politicians.” Posting a photo of Mr Tinubu in a turban inscribed with ‘Emir of Hardship’, @Jeduthun_22 wrote, “Well done.”  @Adaobi_ij said, “My husband just filled his tank for #80,600 in NNPC. I don’t have a word to describe this government, but my prayer is that may God, in his mercy, see those who voted against Tinubu through these trying times.” On Monday, The Gazette exclusively reported that Mr Tinubu was enraged by Nigerians, labelling him TPain, a nickname portraying how his over 16-month-old government has brought pain upon citizens across the country.