Nigerian rapper and activist Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has said he attributes the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to hardship.
Falz said this in response to a question he was asked during an interview with Soundcity.
The ‘Soft Work’ singer had been asked by the interviewer, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What comes to your mind when you hear his name?” and he responded, “Hardship. No elaboration.”
Falz is a vocal critic of bad governance in Nigeria. Last month, Falz tackled President Tinubu over the killing of more than 200 people in Benue State, accusing him of failing in his most fundamental responsibility as a leader.
In a strongly worded post shared on X on June 16, 2025, in response to President Tinubu’s statement on the killings, the rapper expressed deep frustration at what he described as a repeated pattern of government negligence amid growing insecurity across the country.
“You have consistently shown that you are incapable of performing the primary duty of securing the lives and property of your citizens. This routine statement does not cut it.”
President Tinubu’s statement came after he’d been called out online for what many people perceived as his silence on the matter.
His statement read in part, “Enough is enough. I have been briefed on the senseless bloodletting in Benue State. Enough is enough! I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.
“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.This is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue.”
