Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri headed a government delegation to the rites, eulogizing Tukur as a mentor, father, and “Iroko tree” who served Nigeria exceptionally across multiple capacities, from the NPA to the PDP Secretariat. In observance of a three-day mourning period declared after Tukur’s passing on Saturday, Governor Fintiri designated Monday, September 14, 2026, as a work-free day. Dangote praised the late statesman as a pioneer of Northern Nigerian private enterprise, while former Adamawa Governor Senator Jibrilla Bindow remembered him as an invaluable political counselor.

Tukur passed away in Abuja on Saturday, September 12, 2026, just days ahead of his 91st birthday, after which his body was flown to Yola and kept overnight at his Jimeta private residence. Born on September 15, 1935, he is survived by two wives and 18 children, which includes Alhaji Awwal Tukur, the current Secretary to the Government of Adamawa State.

The controversy began after a video circulated online showing Margaret with a handbag identified by users as a Hermès Kelly 35 in Malachite. Online commentators estimate the bag’s value at approximately N237 million. This high price tag has drawn varied reactions from Nigerians, with some condemning the purchase as excessive, while others defend her right to buy what she can afford.

Public figures have also weighed in on the debate. Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, criticized Peter Obi for projecting a modest public image that contrasts with his family’s reported lifestyle. In a post on X, Olayinka argued that it is hypocritical for Obi to solicit campaign donations from ordinary citizens while his wife carries a handbag worth the equivalent of 250,000 of those donations. He stated, “If as a private citizen, the wife of a supposed prudent man can buy a single bag worth over N250m, you can do a guess as to the cost of bags she will buy with public funds.”

Popular media personality Daddy Freeze also commented, stating that he has no issue with Margaret Obi owning a luxury bag, given her husband’s status as a billionaire. However, he questioned Peter Obi’s oft-repeated claims of owning only one pair of shoes and a single wristwatch, suggesting a discrepancy between his declared extreme modesty and his actual lifestyle. “The only problem I have with him is he says he only has one shoe and one watch, but when you put yourself in a certain light, and things around you don’t seem to add to that light, there is a problem,” he said in a video.

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, however, dismissed the criticism as “unnecessary,” noting that Peter Obi is “very rich.” While not seeing an issue with the bag itself, Adeyanju pointed out that the public backlash is rooted in the perception of a performative and deceptive political image. “There’s really nothing wrong in the woman carrying this bag but they have deceived so many people about not giving shishi that many Nigerians are disgusted by their lifestyle,” he wrote on X. “Be yourself Mr. Obi and stop the drama and acting.”