A Staff writer at TIME Magazine covering international news and affairs, Astha Rajvanshi, has been at the centre of attacks from Nigerians who mostly support the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate at the 2023 Elections, Peter Obi.
Who Is Astha Rajvanshi?
She is raised in Sydney before moving to the US and back to India and is a New Delhi–based fellow of the Institute of Current World Affairs.
Astha graduated from Columbia Journalism School’s Investigative Reporting Center and was tasked with writing the citation of the former Lagos State Governor for TIME Magazine.
Citation of Bola Ahmed Tinubu by Astha Rajvanshi on TIME Magazine
Quoting her on TIME”s website, she wrote:
Winning an election in Africa’s most populous country is no easy feat. But Nigeria’s newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had nearly two decades to prepare. Called Jagaban, or “leader of the warriors,” by his supporters, the now 71-year-old ran in a presidential election for the first time this March. His campaign slogan, “It’s my turn,” was a nod to his role as a longtime political power broker. Tinubu helped restore the country’s democracy in 1999 after fighting military rule and then served two consecutive terms as governor of Lagos.
Persons Listed as Most Influential People in 2023
World leaders such as Joe Biden, Albanese, Cindy, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Maria Herrera Magdaleno, Olaf Scholz, Min Aung Hlaing, Samuel Alito, among others as well as Nigeria president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu were among the persons acknowledged.
How OBIdients Are Responding to TIME Magazine’s Citation on the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Many of the Nigeria young population are unhappy with the listing of Tinubu hence they have responded in droves to Astha Rajvanshi’s social media accounts and with twitter being the most vulnerable.
The attacks on her personality has then led to her locking up her twitter account to protect herself.
See some of the reactions below from aggrieved persons on the subject matter:
I am not disputing that Tinubu has been influential. My concern is that @TIME’s @astharajvanshi (who removed herself from my first tweet in this thread) failed to mention Tinubu’s heroin trafficking. She also dubiously claimed he’s 71 years old.
— Dr. Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) April 13, 2023
Poor @astharajvanshi , Nigerians have made her lock all her accounts.
Dear Astha Rajvanshi, I hope you understand why Nigerians are at rage with you and the Time Magazine.
Bola Tinubu was INDICTED for heroine trafficking and money laundering in Chicago Illinois USA which he had pic.twitter.com/FJnnyffW52
— Theodore(Dr) B.Mls, MPH, D.Epi (@DrTheodo) April 13, 2023
There was no 2023 presidential election in Nigeria. What we had was a daylight robbery. Foreign journalists should stop writing what they know nothing of since they are lazy to research or investigate!
Bola Tinubu did not win the election and Journalists like Astha Rajvanshi…
— A Distinguished Field Marshal ⚡️ (@General_Oluchi) April 13, 2023
Please, please share! This is a BIG FAIL by @TIME magazine: @astharajvanshi omitted that Tinubu was found by US to be a narcotics trafficker. Tinubu has been "influential" only because he destroyed countless lives by trafficking heroin and looting Nigeria. https://t.co/tN3WFLeSUl
— Dr. Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) April 13, 2023
No amount of PR from Astha Rajvanshi will change the fact that Tinubu was indicted for dealing Drugs in the US.
— Mindset🗝️ (@mindset_tweet) April 13, 2023
Please, please share! This is a BIG FAIL by @UN magazine: @astharajvanshi omitted that Bola Ahmed Tinubu was found by US to be a narcotics trafficker. Tinubu has been "influential" only because he destroyed countless lives by trafficking heroin and looting Nigeria. @OfficialAPCNg pic.twitter.com/4OFJhfbIJj
— @Michael William 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@Floydmax11) April 13, 2023
Some Solidarity for Astha Rajvanshi from Other Nigerians
Please extend our love to Astha Rajvanshi @TIME. Nigerians, including those who don’t support Tinubu, will never attack anyone for writing an article. Those attacking her are the new seamy side of our political culture, a headless mob. Most countries have them these days.
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) April 13, 2023
Every Progressive and BAT supporter should write an appreciation letter to @TIME just like I did to counter the attacks by the NATTERING NITWITS asking TIME to bring down the post.
We can all do this right… LETTER@TIME.COM is their email address.
Thank you @astharajvanshi pic.twitter.com/D1gkJxwV09
— 🦅 ℙ𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕆𝕜𝕖𝕫𝕚𝕖 𝕁 𝔸𝕥𝕒ñ𝕚 🦅 (@StFreakingKezy) April 13, 2023