‘T-pain’ is the new alias of our president , the Asiwaju of the Emilokan Dynasty. The first time I came across the new slang T-pain , I did not give much meaning to it because what does the American Rapper T-pain have to do with the truckload of Nigeria’s problem? But many thanks to the internet! I discovered that T-pain is rebranded as the personification of the Nigerian populace’s suffering under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. This is an adopted name for the pain Nigerians are experiencing due to the President’s economic reform and policies to restore the nation’s lost glory.
Since entering politics, the President has gone by many nicknames: Jagaban to City Boy, Emilokan , and T-pain. Humour me , Nigerians, where does it end? Could it be that Mr. President finds it interesting to be the subject of humour for the people he represents? I think not.
The other day, I had a good laugh when I saw an ad from a popular food delivery app that said: “Order food and get free delivery on all orders. Use the code TPAIN .” And just like that, I knew the internet had found its latest meme.
The irony is not lost on anyone. In a country where people struggle to afford a decent meal, the idea that T-pain, the symbol of national economic hardship , is now being used to promote a food delivery service feels almost too poetic. It is as if the advertisers knew precisely what was on the minds of Nigerians: this is the code we need, the code we are living under, that.
