President Bola Tinubu’s media aide, Temitope Ajayi, has stated that the youth corps member named Raye, who called out President Bola Tinubu for his “terrible” leadership, deserves the death penalty.

In a viral video that caused an uproar, Ushie ‘Raye’ Uguamaye, the corps member serving in Lagos, lamented the hardship in the country and the rising costs of goods under Tinubu’s government.

Raye expressed frustration by saying, “I am coming from a supermarket where I went to get foodstuff, and everything has gone up again. It’s just like every single week, prices keep increasing. I want to know, what is the government doing about this increase?”

“If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government. I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you (Mr Tinubu). But you (Mr Tinubu) are such a terrible president,” added Raye.

In response to her outburst, the presidential aide slammed her for her utterance. He said, “If she is not a corper, she can say whatever she fancies like people do per second. Citizens can abuse a living day out of their President or any public official. It is normal”.

Taking to his Facebook page on Monday, March 17, 2025, Ajayi stated, “But a corper violated her oath and code of conduct here. That is capital punishment under NYSC.”

He added, “You can’t abuse the country you are serving as a corper under any guise and the symbol of sovereign authority, which is the president. She should be punished to the fullest extent, not just warned.”

However, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong stated that Raye has committed no offense and did not insult the president as claimed.

He said, “Criticising the president or the government is not an offence under the NYSC Act (See Section 13). It is also not an offence under the NYSC Bye-Laws (See Section 4 of the Revised Bye-Laws, 2011)

“I have watched all the videos of this lady that are being debated. There is nothing slightly partisan in her comments.”

He pointed out that Raye “merely expressed her justified frustrations with the state of affairs in the country, particularly the impact of the scourging” inflation on her and other Nigerians.

“That is within her constitutional right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” Mr Effiong explained.

Other notable personalities who have voiced their support for Raye and condemned the attempts to silence critics of the ruling government include, Amnesty International, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and Dele Farotimi.