Presidential Aide Calls for Harsh Punishment for Corps Member

Temitope Ajayi’s Controversial Stance on Criticism of Tinubu

​Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, recently addressed the actions of Ushie ‘Raye’ Uguamaye, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who criticized President Tinubu in a viral TikTok video. In her video, Uguamaye expressed frustration over rising inflation and described President Tinubu as a “terrible” leader.

Ajayi responded by highlighting that while citizens have the right to criticize public officials, NYSC members are bound by specific codes of conduct. He stated that Uguamaye’s actions violated her oath and the NYSC’s code of conduct, suggesting that such violations warrant “capital punishment” under NYSC regulations.

Following public backlash, Ajayi clarified his remarks, emphasizing that he did not advocate for the death penalty or any form of bodily harm against Uguamaye. He explained that within the context of NYSC regulations, “capital punishment” refers to expulsion from the program, not physical punishment. Ajayi reiterated that the maximum disciplinary measure under NYSC protocols is expulsion and that his comments were misinterpreted to suggest otherwise.