“Stop addressing the President as “T-pain” ~ State House warned Nigerians.

 T-Pain, the nickname, popularised on social media, symbolises the growing discontent with the Nigerian government's performance under President Bola Tinubu.

Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter) have vowed to continue referring to President Bola Tinubu as "T-Pain" if his administration fails to address the growing hardship in the country.  

T-Pain, the nickname, popularised on social media, symbolises the growing discontent with the Nigerian government's performance under President Bola Tinubu.

The nickname for President Tinubu came from a satirical remix of T-Pain’s track ‘Buy U A Drank’ by Nigerian satirist Bello Galadanci, best known by his stage name Dan Bello.

‘Buy U A Drank’ was released in 2007 by American singer and songwriter Faheem Rashad Najm, known professionally as T-Pain.

But unlike the original version, Dan Bello’s remix titled ‘Nigerians, I Go Make You Poor,’ is about the economic hardship caused by the policies of President Tinubu’s administration, including fuel subsidy removal and flotation of te exchange rate.

The lyrics are as follows: ‘I go make you poor, all your fuel, I go make am mine. I’m in plane, you’re in pain, Wetin you go do, na to just complain.’ 

On Saturday, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, also lambasted President Tinubu and his administration. 

Atiku, who also joined the trend by calling Tinubu ‘T-Pain’, said the president is not bothered about the growing hardship and he is daily drowning the material well-being of Nigerians. 

Reacting, the Presidency warned Nigerians to stop calling Tinubu T-Pain, describing it as a stain on his reputation.

But Nigerians netizens have said they will not stop describing Tinubu and his government as T-pain unless he changes his economic policies.

“As long as the people continue to feel the pain of misgovernance, the name will continue,” a user, Izigab said. 

“The worst way to reject a nickname is by telling people to stop calling you that name. That is when you trigger more momentum,” another user, Eze Arinze said. 

Davidpine wrote: “This is one thing you can't stop. You get the sort of name you deserve, good or bad. Rather than trying to seek out ways of addressing Nigeria’s problems it is frivolous things such as this that bothers you?”

Dagreatdey4you wrote: “Now, the name is permanent cos you don't tell people not to call you by a nickname... T-pain for life.” 

Shegun_ej wrote; “After inflicting more pains and injuries on Nigerians what better word or name to describe the man abeg.”

Adanniat wrote: “Let them build prisons sufficient to contain all Nigerians. Tinubu's regime's constant threat to citizens' freedom of expression is totally unacceptable.”

Valencia wrote: “Una sure say dis democracy go fit work for this tenure because den go soon go house to house dey go arrest o for freedom of speech violation.”