Akahi News reports that Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has declared that President Bola Tinubu now sleeps as late as 3am while working round the clock to resolve the nation’s security challenges. Akahi News gathered that the First Lady made the disclosure during an engagement with traditional rulers in Ekiti State on Saturday.
“I can assure you, we don’t have Mondays or Sundays. The President is working round the clock to get this matter resolved. At times, Mr President will sleep at 3:00am and God has been faithful,” she said. While the First Lady intended this as a testament to her husband’s dedication, the statement has sparked a firestorm of reactions from Nigerians who feel that sleepless nights are the minimum requirement for a job as demanding as the presidency. But how many hours of sleep does the First Lady think an average Nigerian gets a day? That is the question echoing across social media.
The Backlash: What About the Kidnapped Victims and Struggling Parents?
The response from Nigerians has been swift and brutal. Many have pointed out that while the President may be sleeping at 3am, kidnapped victims who have spent months in captivity are sleeping under the rain, sun, and cold in forests and caves. Akahi News gathered that ordinary Nigerians are also losing sleep – not because they are working, but because they are worried about how to feed their families and pay school fees.
“What about the fathers and mothers who are awake all night thinking about how to feed and pay their children’s school fees?” one social media user queried. Another asked: “What about the kidnapped victims who are in the bush for the past three months sleeping under harsh weather conditions?” The contrast between the President’s 3am bedtime and the suffering of ordinary citizens could not be starker.
Akahi News believes that the First Lady’s comments, while well-intentioned, reveal a troubling disconnect. For most Nigerians, the question is not whether the President is working hard. The question is whether his efforts are yielding results. Kidnappings continue. Bandits still terrorise communities. Farmers still cannot return to their fields. Hard work without outcomes is not a cause for celebration.
Critics argue that the President applied for the job. He knew what it entailed. Staying awake at night is not a favour to Nigerians; it is the basic expectation of the office. “The president should be awake all night if he has to, to make sure Nigerians are protected. That’s the kind of job he applied for,” one commentator wrote. That sentiment has been echoed by thousands.
📚 While the President Loses Sleep Over Security, Don’t Lose Sleep Over Your Admission – Akahi Tutors
The debate over presidential sleep patterns should not distract you from your academic goals. Akahi Tutors, Ile-Ife is the best tutorial centre for admission into OAU Ile-Ife, University of Nigeria, University of Lagos, University of Calabar, University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, and other top universities. Whether it’s Post UTME, Pre-degree, WAEC, NECO, GCE, JUPEB, or School of Nursing entrance examinations, we ensure your hard work pays off. Call 08038644328 or WhatsApp wa.me/2348038644328 today.
What the First Lady Actually Said: Security Collaborations and Hope
Beyond the comment about the President’s sleep schedule, the First Lady used her visit to Ekiti State to reaffirm the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening national security. Akahi News learnt that she disclosed that the administration is deepening both domestic and international security collaborations aimed at addressing kidnapping, banditry, and other violent crimes nationwide.
“The US and some other developed countries are helping us in this matter. Some of those terrorising us are non-Nigerians. No matter what happens, we shall overcome. Nigeria is too great to be intimidated,” she said. That message of resilience was meant to inspire hope. But for Nigerians who have heard similar promises from previous administrations, hope is in short supply.
The First Lady also highlighted interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative in Ekiti State, including the establishment of an ICT centre at Ekiti State University and scholarships worth over N200 million for students. According to her, about 2,000 traders have benefited from ₦50,000 grants each, while elderly citizens and persons living with disabilities continue to receive support under various empowerment programmes. These are tangible achievements. But they risk being overshadowed by the security crisis.
Traditional Rulers Weigh In: Call for State Police
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture. Akahi News gathered that he urged the Federal Government to strengthen laws against kidnapping and fast-track the establishment of state police, arguing that decentralised policing would improve security response.
That is a significant intervention. Traditional rulers are not often vocal on political issues, but the security crisis has pushed them to speak out. The call for state police has been made by many governors and analysts, but the Federal Government has been slow to act. The First Lady’s visit may have provided a platform for that message to reach the presidency directly.
One cannot help but ask: if the President is sleeping at 3am working on security, why are the results not visible? Why are kidnappings still making headlines? Why are communities still living in fear? The traditional rulers’ call for state police suggests that the current centralised approach is not working. The President may need to consider bold reforms, not just late nights.
🎓 While the Government Tackles Insecurity, Tackle Your Academic Future with Akahi Tutors
Security challenges may dominate the news, but your personal challenges can be overcome with the right preparation. Akahi Tutors, Ile-Ife specialises in Post UTME, Pre-degree, WAEC, NECO, GCE, JUPEB, and School of Nursing entrance exams. We have a proven record of placing students into OAU, UNN, UNILAG, UNICAL, UI, UNILORIN and more. Don’t wait for security to improve – improve your own prospects today. Call 08038644328 or WhatsApp wa.me/2348038644328 now.
The Deeper Issue: Perception vs. Reality
The First Lady’s comments have inadvertently exposed a deeper issue: the gap between how the government perceives its efforts and how citizens experience the outcomes. President Tinubu may indeed be working tirelessly. He may be sleeping at 3am. He may be collaborating with international partners. But if kidnappings are still occurring and farmers are still being killed, the public will not celebrate the effort. They will demand results.
Akahi News believes that the First Lady would have been better served by focusing on tangible security improvements rather than the President’s sleep schedule. Telling stressed, hungry, and frightened Nigerians that the President is losing sleep comes across as tone-deaf. They are losing sleep too – for very different reasons.
Psychologically, the statement backfired because it centred the President’s sacrifice rather than the citizens’ suffering. The proper framing would have been: “The President understands your pain and is working around the clock to end it.” Instead, the framing sounded like: “Appreciate the President because he is tired.” That is a subtle but crucial difference. And in the court of public opinion, the First Lady lost the case.
What Nigerians Actually Want to Hear
Nigerians do not need to know what time the President goes to bed. They need to know when the kidnapped victims will come home. They need to know when the bandits will be neutralised. They need to know when they can travel without fear. Akahi News gathered that many citizens would trade all the presidential sleep updates for a single, verifiable success story: a rescued victim, a captured kingpin, or a community liberated from terror.
The First Lady urged Nigerians to remain hopeful and prayerful, saying that collective effort is required to overcome the country’s security challenges. That is not wrong. But hope without evidence is wishful thinking. And prayer without action is not enough. Nigerians have been hopeful and prayerful for years. They need results.
As the 2027 elections approach, security will be a defining issue. The Tinubu administration cannot afford to be seen as indifferent to the suffering of citizens. The First Lady’s comments, however well-intentioned, have done damage to that perception. The presidency would be wise to pivot quickly – from talking about effort to demonstrating outcomes.
A Final Word
President Tinubu’s job is one of the most difficult in the world. He inherited a nation grappling with multiple security crises, economic instability, and deep social divisions. No reasonable person expects magic. But they do expect progress. And progress must be measurable.
Akahi News acknowledges the President’s right to work round the clock. We also acknowledge that security is a complex challenge with no easy solutions. But we urge the administration to communicate more sensitively. Telling Nigerians about the President’s 3am bedtime while victims are in bushes and parents cannot sleep is not empathy. It is provocation. And Nigerians have every right to be provoked.
🎓 Attend 2026 JAMB, Post-UTME, WAEC, and NECO GCE Tutorials
Get fully prepared with expert tutors, comprehensive study materials, and personalised academic guidance at Akahi Tutors.
📍 Located at 67, Oduduwa College Road, Off Sabo Junction, Ile-Ife.
📞 Call: 08038644328
for enrollment and accommodation reservation.
As for the First Lady, her intentions are likely pure. But in politics, intentions matter less than impact. The impact of her statement has been outrage. The best response now is not more explanations. It is more action. Let the President’s results speak for themselves. Then Nigerians can decide whether the 3am nights were worth it.