Businessman Isaac Fayose has criticized First Lady Remi Tinubu over her recent call for wealthy Nigerian musicians to fund poverty alleviation efforts.

Speaking in Kogi State, Mrs. Tinubu stated that the government cannot handle the poverty burden alone. She explicitly urged Afrobeats stars like Davido, Burna Boy, and Asake to set up NGOs rather than just buying luxury cars.

‘’I want to appeal to our young ones in the entertainment industry. I’ve mentioned it before, and I will use Akon, a music icon who does a lot of great charity work.

The Burna Boys of this world, Asake, all of them, Davido. We want to see you with one foundation or the other, helping the poor with your money.

Good cars are good; a Maybach is good. Rolls-Royce is good, but still you can still help. The burden on the government is huge.

You can still help. There are pepper sellers. There are vegetable sellers. There are okra sellers, melon sellers, akara kulikuli. Ankara is delicious. I can tell you that,” she said

In a video posted to X, Fayose—the younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose—rejected her stance. He countered that the government must first show fiscal responsibility, questioning why the First Lady previously asked state governors to buy brand-new vehicles for APC women leaders instead of using those public funds to help poor Nigerians.