WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has denied authoring a viral social media post criticising President Bola Tinubu, calling it fake and malicious. She warns Nigerians to beware of scammers behind the impersonation
Okonjo-Iweala Denies Viral Anti-Tinubu Post, Calls It Fake and Malicious
Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has dissociated herself from a viral social media post falsely attributed to her, which criticised President Bola Tinubu over his handling of insecurity in Nigeria.
In a statement shared via her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, Okonjo-Iweala described the message as “fake and malicious,” stressing that it did not originate from her.
“Beware, this story going around on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook is false! We are taking action! The person who did this could not even spell my name,” she wrote.
The WTO chief warned Nigerians to avoid believing or circulating the false post, noting that legal action was already being taken against those responsible for the impersonation.
The fake message, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” had claimed that Okonjo-Iweala accused Nigerian leaders of prioritising rhetoric over decisive action against insecurity. It also falsely quoted her as urging President Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches and secure the people.”
Okonjo-Iweala condemned the impersonation in strong terms, calling out those behind it for hiding under her identity to spread disinformation.
“Whichever coward did this should write the message in their own name and not hide behind mine or anyone else’s! Scammers and 419ers, stop!” she declared.
Her response comes amid renewed public debate following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks alleging that Christians were being targeted in Nigeria.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings continued.
Reacting to the comment, President Tinubu dismissed foreign portrayals of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant country. In a statement shared on X, he reaffirmed that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration works closely with leaders of all faiths to promote peace and security.
“Religious tolerance has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said.
He added that Nigeria remains committed to partnering with the United States and other global allies to foster mutual understanding and protect communities of all faiths. Read More
