Tinubu Revives 'Half Salary' Nickname, Taunts Aregbesola in Osun

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently brought up the controversial “Half Salary” moniker associated with former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola. This happened on Thursday, August 20, 2026, during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja where he was hosting Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who had just secured victory in the August 15 governorship election.

Tinubu invoked the old nickname while expressing strong disapproval of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's suggestion to reinstate the fuel subsidy should he win the presidency in 2027. The President stated, “I saw one of my opponents (Atiku Abubakar) now say he will go back to subsidy. I read it.” He further criticized the idea, describing it as “a demonstration of a serious ignorance on governance and economy.”

He continued by highlighting the dire financial situation many states faced before his administration took office. “Before I came here, 27 states were unable to pay salaries, not to even talk of pensioners, salary of workers,” Tinubu remarked. It was in this context that he directly referenced Aregbesola, telling Governor Adeleke, “In your state, I know a man that I raised who is nicknamed half salary.”

Rauf Aregbesola, once a close political associate of President Tinubu, is now a prominent figure within the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The “Half Salary” label stuck to him during his time as Osun State Governor when his administration encountered significant challenges in consistently paying full salaries to its civil servants.