Aso Rock dials back on Tinubu ringing bell after fierce media backlash
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Aso Rock has dialled back on its claim President Bola Tinubu was going to be the first African leader to ring the closing bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock exchange in New York.
Tinubu rang the bell on September 20, following in the footsteps of another African leader.
Besides, former Goodluck Jonathan and a Nigerian oil billionaire’s daughter both had previously rung the bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), a much bigger exchange than NASDAQ.
The NYSE is by far the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalisation. Ringing its opening bell is a honour typically given to business top brass and Chief Executive Officers, but celebrities are also invited to do it occasionally.
Jonathan (with gavel) ringing the NYSE closing bell …. 23 September 2013
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Fact-checkers troll Tinubu
Before Tinubu travelled to New York for the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) – after which he went on to Times Square to ring the NASDAQ closing bell – his Media Adviser Ajuri Ngelale issued a statement claiming his principal would be the first African leader to do so.
Fact-checkers and other Tinubu bashers raised a storm on social media, insisting the claim is false. They dug into the archives, discovered, and posted, among others, the following:
21 September 2011
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete rang the NASDAQ closing bell.
23 September 2013
Jonathan rang the NYSE closing bell.
24 September 2019
Florence, also called DJ Cuppy, a music/social media celebrity and daughter of oil billionaire Femi Otedola, ran the NYSE opening bell.
20 September 2023
Tinubu rang the NASDAQ closing bell.
Ngelale’s statement attracted reactions across traditional and social media, with Arise News last week airing Kikwete’s video, as well as those of Jonathan and DJ Cuppy.
That prompted Ngelale to issue another statement which clarified the Villa was misled by a third party.
“We inadvertently referred to President Bola Tinubu as the first African leader to ring the bell at NASDAQ on Wednesday in New York, based on the information provided by a third-party event organiser. This error is sincerely regretted,” he said.