Pop Culture Meets Politics: Fintiri’s references Burna Boy’s song in victory tweet

Fintiri, in a tweet on Thursday, April 20, 2023, said that the recent happenings in Adamawa would make a good movie script and that ultimately, “breakfast” was served hot and the people’s mandate had been reclaimed.

For those who are not familiar with the reference, “last last” is a common phrase used in Nigeria, which means “ultimately.” The phrase is also the title of a song by popular Nigerian musician, Burna Boy.

In the song, the line goes: “E don cast, last last, na everybody go chop breakfast,” which loosely translates to, “Eventually, everyone will have their heart broken.”

In a promotional interview, Burna Boy explained that “chop breakfast” is slang for having a heartbreak. The song is about a painful disappointment the singer had in a sentimental relationship, and the message he wants to convey is that sooner or later, everybody has to feel that kind of pain. And move on, eventually, after sadness is gone.

As for Fintiri’s victory, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner of the Adamawa state governorship election after the collation of the supplementary election results.

Fintiri, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had 430,861 votes, while Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had 398,788 votes.

The election result and announcement was keenly contested, with both parties putting forward strong candidates.

Binani was first announced as the winner, even when the resumption of the collation of results scheduled for 11 am on Sunday, April 15, 2023, had yet to start.

This was done by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Barrister Hudu Yunusa Ari, and not the returning officer, as provided by the Electoral Act.

In a viral video online, the REC, Yunusa, confessed to receiving a ₦2 billion bribe to announce Binani as the winner of the election.

However, Binani has refuted the claims in a statement released late on Tuesday, April 17, 2023.

In the end, it was Fintiri who emerged victorious, and he wasted no time in celebrating his win in his own unique way.

While it may seem odd for a politician to reference a song about heartbreak in the midst of celebrating a political victory, it is not uncommon for Nigerian politicians to use pop culture references in their speeches and statements.

In fact, Burna Boy himself has been known to speak out about political issues in Nigeria, including the #EndSARS protests that rocked the country in 2020.