Nigeria, March 18 -- President Bola Tinubu's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has defended his controversial remarks about a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who criticised the president's handling of the economy.

Mr Ajayi said his reference to "capital punishment" was misconstrued, clarifying that he had called for the highest disciplinary action permissible under NYSC regulations-not the execution of the corps member, as some reports suggested.

"I suggested that flagrant and open abuse and disregard of NYSC by-laws and established protocol should attract the full NYSC disciplinary measures, particularly regarding a corps member's recent display of imprudence," he wrote in a statement shared wi...