Attacks between Tinubu, Obi’s supporters show depth of Nigeria’s polarisation, says

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has lamented the level of disunity in Nigeria, describing the situation as sad.
The WTO boss spoke via her verified Twitter handle yesterday while debunking reports alleging that she snubbed Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, during the just-concluded Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, France.

She shared photographs she took at the Summit with President Tinubu, to debunk the allegation.
Okonjo-Iweala had posted photographs with some participating African Presidents like that of Senegal, Macky Sall; South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema – at the Summit, which was also attended by President Tinubu.

Social media users in Nigeria especially supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, who go by the appellation of ‘Obi-dients’, hailed Okonjo-Iweala for purportedly snubbing Tinubu at the global event.

Consequently, many netizens, who are supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, otherwise known as ‘BATists’ began to fire what can be described as a counter salvo without finding out the veracity or otherwise of the claim that former Nigeria’s Minister of Finance snubbed Tinubu at the Paris Summit.
They alleged that President Tinubu was deliberately cropped out of the photographs despite his attendance at the Summit convened by the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

But, amid the social media spat between the two groups of Nigerians occasioned by false claims and counter-claims, Okonjo-Iweala took to her verified Twitter handle again yesterday evening to debunk the allegations against her.

She shared more photographs she took at the Summit with President Tinubu, Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu, and others, noting that photographs with other African Presidents earlier posted by her were done in the order she received them from her accompanying staff and colleagues at the event.

She, therefore, stated that ascribing any ulterior motive or meaning to her action (order of posting her photographs) was unnecessary and unwarranted even as she called for unity of purpose and cessation of further attacks by Nigerians.

Okonjo-Iweala wrote: “Nigerians please relax! Re Paris, Interesting attacks from both sides. Sadly, it shows the depth of polarisation in our society. I post photos in the order received by accompanying staff or colleagues. Reading more into it is unwarranted. Let’s unite to build our country, not attack!”