Shuaibu Audu, the Minister of Steel Development had drawn several opinions over his prostration before President Bola Tinubu during his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, August 21.
Audu is among one of 45 ministers who were sworn into office today, at an event held in the Presidential Villa in FCT Abuja.
The ‘scandalous’ incident had happened when moments after taking the oath of office, the Kogi State indigene approached President Tinubu and prostrated in front of him. Tinubu had afterwards, given him a handshake.
The video had circulated on the internet and had received mixed reactions from netizend on the platform X, (formerly Twitter), with some praising the act and acknowledging it as a mark of respect in the Yoruba culture, while others had criticized the act.
An X user @DUKEVALENTINO88 had expressed his support for the act, remarking that: “Mr President seemed pleased with it. I suppose it is cultural.”
Another user @lolusada had agreed, saying that Audu copied the Yorùbá tradition and one could even go as far as calling him an Omolúàbí.”
In essence, the netizens that were for Audu prostrating to Tinubu had argued that it was simply an African thing to do as respecting one’s elders was mandatory and nothing new.
However, some had been of the mindset that the act had not been necessary as it was a formal setting.
A user @BabajoUmarAbub1 had thought that the prostration was a tad “too much” considering the event taking place.
