Aisha Yesufu

Aisha Somtochukwu Yesufu (born 12 December 1973) is a Nigerian activist and businesswoman. She co-founded the #BringBackOurGirls movement, which brings attention to the abduction of over 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria on 14 April 2014, by the terrorist group Boko Haram. She has also been prominently involved in the End SARS movement against police brutality in Nigeria.

It is just unbelievable how we tend to reward incompetence and punish competence.

Quotes

• One of them had pushed me and the raised hand might be what some saw as a slap. No, I wasn’t slapped and I refused to cower and I turned and gave them a piece of what I thought of their pathetic selves and if I am going to die, it would be with my fist high up and my mouth open.
  • [1] Aisha Yesufu speaking at the EndSARS protest on October 2020

• I would never give up on Nigeria no matter what it throws at me. I owe it to unborn generations on their way to Nigeria and I will continue to fight for Nigeria just as I wished others had fought for me before I came to be Nigerian.
  • [2] Aisha Yesufu speaking at the EndSARS protest on October 2020

• Herdsmen who are criminals have to be criminalized. Those who aren't shouldn't. No one has monopoly to cause trouble and no one is safe from what trouble can cause.
  • [3] Aisha Yesufu speaking on insurgence.

• Politics affect lives and we all have to be politicians. You can be the one being voted for or the one voting for or the one volunteering in someone's campaign or helping to raise money or donating or giving governance or making demands.
  • [4] Aisha Yesufu speaking on politics and everyone involvement.

• It is just unbelievable how we tend to reward incompetence and punish competence.
  • [5] Aisha Yesufu speaking on nepotism.

• One thing I have learnt, is that, sometimes you need your opponent to do so badly and make you a choice.
  • [6] Aisha speaking on seeing value in others.
• “There is nothing to go into fighting mood over this nothing – so focus on your message and the results that you want is the most important.”
  • [7] Aisha Yesufu warning protestors against distraction and division #EndSars
• No rigging can happen without our support … INEC is not the problem. The people in INEC are the problem and they are among the 220 million people. There is no INEC Chairman that can rig election if the people working in INEC do not collude. … The police are not the problem, the people in the police are the problem.”
  • Aisha Yesufu Urges Nigerians on INEC Issues AFRICA Press (2025-10-10)
• "Educated Nigerians should realise that their education is not for them alone and they should be working towards changing the system; that is how you will have a bloodless revolution. If you don’t do that, the hungry people are going to jump on the street one day …”
  • Educated Nigerians should work for a bloodless revolution or hungry people will kill everybody one day –Aisha Yesufu PUNCH (25th November 2020)
• "Your actions, not words will attract foreign investors … ‘In this 2023, travelling to woo investors is still being used?!’ … ‘Stop wasting tax payers money to go woo investors. Sit at home and do the needful.’”
  • Your actions, not words will attract foreign investors, Aisha Yesufu tells FG Vanguard News (November 19, 2023)
• "People must resolve to not move on from issues. … Until good is more tenacious than evil, the evil ones even though smaller in number will continue to have the upper hand.”
• You see this table full of older generation men cannot be the only ones allowed to make the decision as we go on! Women and Youth must be in the midst of decision-making and not as afterthoughts in the form of tokenism.”
  • Aisha Yesufu Tears Into Northerners: ‘They Beg For Everything, But Want To Be Moral Activists’ The whistler (Jan 12, 2021)
• “No country has the right to call itself civilized if it allows 219 of its citizens to be kidnapped with no repercussions.”
  • The Battle for Nigeria NEWS.COM (February 5, 2015)
• "Women and Youth must be in the midst of decision-making and not as afterthoughts in the form of tokenism.”
  • Aisha Yesufu Slams ADC Coalition Over Tokenism In Women, Youth Inclusion Independent news (July 3, 2025)
• "You can now call me JOBLESS with a capital J! … My last born is done with university … I have a lot more time on my hands now, and I will be devoting it to NIGERIA! Welcome to a new dispensation.”
  • ‘I have more time for Nigeria now,’ says Aisha Yesufu as she celebrates child’s graduation Tribune online (January 20, 2025)
• "People must resolve to not move on from issues. … Until good is more tenacious than evil, the evil ones even though smaller in number will continue to have the upper hand.”
• "In this 2023, travelling to woo investors is still being used?! … Stop wasting tax payers money to go woo investors. Sit at home and do the needful.”
  • Your actions, not words will attract foreign investors, Aisha Yesufu tells FG Vanguard (November 19, 2023)
• "It is only when it comes to hypocritical morality that they will become actively present. Money they will beg for. Food they will beg for. Job they will beg for. Marks they will beg for. Merit they will beg to be exempted. Even advocacy they will beg for.”
  • Aisha Yesufu Tears Into Northerners: ‘They Beg For Everything, But Want To Be Moral Activists’ THE WHISTLER (Jan 12, 2021)
• "Even though my parents or adults were angry at me for speaking up especially when it does not favour them … I have the gift to look at issues from both sides even when I am involved and when I am not.”
  • Aisha Yesufu: The Voice Of Humanity The Guardina Nigeria ( 25 Aug 2019)
• "I am okay. I refused to run. I walked with my fist high up … One of them had pushed me and the raised hand might be what some saw as a slap. No, I wasn’t slapped and I refused to cower and I turned and gave them a piece of what I thought of their pathetic selves and if I am going to die, it would be with my fist high up and my mouth open.”
  • Aisha Yesufu- The picture worth one thousand words Busness day NG (October 17, 2020)
• "The right Bola Ahmed Tinubu had to call out government in 2014 is the right Aisha Yesufu has in 2024 to call out an illegitimate government … No Nigerian is more Nigerian than any Nigerian. This country belongs to all of us, and nobody can intimidate us in our own father land."
  • ‘Nobody can intimidate us’ – Aisha Yesufu vows to continue calling out Tinubu’s govt NigerianEye ( February 05, 2024)
• "No rigging can happen without our support … INEC is not the problem. The people in INEC are the problem … The police are not the problem … The people in the police are the problem.”
  • Aisha Yesufu Urges Nigerians on INEC Issues Africa Press (2025-10-10)
• "To Nigerian Politicians, 8 years is FOREVER! Little do they know!”
  • Eight years not forever – Aisha Yesufu mocks Yahaya Bello, ElRufai Daily post (April 19, 2024)
• "When asked on … what she thinks of the President’s assurance …: ‘We are used to a president whose words mean nothing. He says one thing, and another thing happens’ … ‘The body language of President … enables the terrorists.’”
  • Aisha Yesufu: We Are Used To A President Whose Words Mean Nothing - Politics - Nairaland Nairaland ( Feb 26, 2021)
• "I am a politician. All my life I have made choices. I am into Nigerian Politics and … I will ensure it is clean.”
  • I am a politician - Aisha Yesufu declares after years of denial Pulse (05 March 2024 )
• "I give it to the illegitimate administration of Mr Tinubu. He has gotten defeated people fighting themselves instead of fighting him … Imagine the fight is over who are being killed rather than that citizens are being killed.”
  • Nigerians Fighting Themselves Instead of Tinubu – Aisha Yesufu tori.ng ( 07th Oct, 2025 )
• "When we talk about International Women’s Day, I don’t want a day. I just want to be treated with respect, I want equality, equity and justice. That’s really what we want. Because at the end of the day, this whole International Women’s Day has been turned into some performative thing …”
  • IWD 2025: Aisha Yesufu preaches equity, justice, more women in leadership position Blueprint (March 8, 2025)
• "There is no government in Nigeria. Terrorists have a field day!”
  • There is no government in Nigeria – Aisha Yesufu declares NigerianEye (June 23, 2025)
• "Peter Obi has more hope in 2027 than there was in 2023. … Nothing has been put in place. Nigerians must realise that the 2027 election is a fight for our lives.”
  • Peter Obi has better chances in 2027 than in 2023 — Aisha Yesufu Vanguard (October 18, 2025)
• "No rigging can happen without our support … The people in INEC are the problem. … The police are not the problem, the people in the police are the problem.”
  • Aisha Yesufu Urges Nigerians on INEC Issues AFRICA Press (2025-10-10)
• "To Nigerian Politicians, 8 years is FOREVER! Little do they know!”
  • Eight years not forever – Aisha Yesufu mocks Yahaya Bello, ElRufai Daily post (April 19, 2024)
• "You can now call me JOBLESS with a capital J! … I have a lot more time on my hands now, and I will be devoting it to NIGERIA! Welcome To A New Dispensation.”
  • ‘I have more time for Nigeria now,’ says Aisha Yesufu as she celebrates child’s graduation Tribuneonline (January 20, 2025)

External links

• official Website