President Bola Ahmed Tinubu drew laughter from guests on Thursday evening after playfully referring to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.
Addressing attendees at the event, the president affectionately described his wife as “My dear wife, First Lady, Iya Alakara,” a light-hearted remark that appeared to reference her recent comments about akara—the popular Nigerian bean cake—which had attracted public attention in recent days.
The humorous aside injected a relaxed atmosphere into the evening, prompting laughter and applause from members of the audience, including government officials, journalists and invited guests.
The annual Presidential Press Corps Dinner serves as an opportunity for the presidency to engage informally with journalists covering the State House while reflecting on the administration’s activities and strengthening relations with the media.
Tinubu’s witty comment became one of the memorable moments of the evening, highlighting the lighter side of an event otherwise centred on governance, media engagement and the administration’s policy agenda.
