Former presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, has lashed out at those criticising Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Nigerian President, over his Christmas Day message on Twitter.
Mr. Adesina had tweeted Friday morning, “Merry Christmas to all, including the Wailing Wailers,” a message that sparked fury and negative reactions among many of his followers.
The criticism that followed was so intense that Mr. Adesina trended on Twitter for most of the day.
But Mr. Okupe, who was initially thought to be deeply critical of Mr. Adesina and the present administration, rose in fierce defence of the presidential adviser.
In a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Okupe said Mr. Adesina’s comment was “totally harmless” and that the condemnation that trailed it was unnecessary.
He described those criticising the presidential adviser as “intemperate and over sensitive” people digging “for faults and loopholes to bring down people in public offices”.
Mr. Okupe said, “I am not an apologist of this administration neither am I a supporter.
“The post by Femi Adesina this morning is totally harmless and does not deserve the vitriolic attack or condemnation that it seems to be getting.
“I have not spoken to Femi but I know he included ‘including the wailing wailers’ just as a form of anecdote that is not unusual with writers.
“Many people on the social media network are too intemperate and over sensitive.
“They look out for faults and loopholes to bring down people in public offices.
“They also set up unrealistic and sometimes practically impossible moral grounds which they themselves cannot keep for public officers.
“I know for a fact that people like me are supposed to be the ‘wailing wailers’ and we are not angry neither do we feel insulted by this otherwise humorous Xmas greetings.
“On behalf of the wailers we salute Femi and thank him for this inconclusive Xmas felicitation.”