Cute Abiola’s apology to Patience Jonathan has Nigerians talking

Popular content creator Cute Abiola has sparked fresh conversations on Nigeria’s long-running insecurity crisis after publicly apologising to former First Lady Patience Jonathan over a viral video in which she broke down in tears following the abduction of schoolgirls during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In an emotional message shared on social media, Cute Abiola said many Nigerians who once mocked the former First Lady’s televised tears now understand the depth of the pain she expressed as kidnapping and insecurity continue to devastate families across the country.

The comedian and skit maker noted that what was once ridiculed and turned into internet memes should now be viewed as a genuine expression of empathy for victims and their families.

“Mummy, we are sorry for the ridicule. Years ago, when you cried on national television over the pain and kidnapping of innocent children, you felt the pain of the victims and their families,” he wrote.

According to him, Mrs Jonathan’s emotional reaction reflected the gravity of the national tragedy at a time when hundreds of schoolgirls had been abducted, leaving families in anguish and drawing global attention to Nigeria’s security challenges.

“You spoke with emotion because you understood the gravity of what was happening to our nation. Today, as kidnapping and insecurity continue to affect innocent Nigerians, many now realise that your tears were not weakness. They were humanity,” he added.

The apology has reignited public debate over one of the most memorable moments of Nigeria’s response to mass abductions, particularly the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, which shocked the world and triggered widespread outrage.

At the time, Mrs Jonathan’s emotional appearance on national television became the subject of widespread mockery online, with clips of her crying repeatedly shared, remixed and transformed into memes across social media platforms.

However, as kidnapping incidents continue to occur across different parts of the country more than a decade later, some Nigerians have begun reassessing that moment through a different lens.

Cute Abiola argued that the former First Lady’s tears represented compassion rather than weakness, saying the country now better understands the emotional burden carried by those who publicly confronted the tragedy.

“Thank you for caring. Thank you for speaking up. And may God comfort every family affected by this tragedy and restore peace to our nation,” he said.

His remarks quickly gained attention online, with many social media users agreeing that the former First Lady’s reaction reflected the pain of grieving families, while others maintained that public officials should be judged by government actions rather than emotional responses.