Okonjo-Iweala Disowns Viral Post Criticising Tinubu, Warns Against Impersonation

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has disowned 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 on her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, Okonjo-Iweala described the circulating message as fake, malicious, and defamatory, 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.

She further cautioned members of the public against sharing or amplifying the false message, revealing that legal action was being taken against those responsible for the impersonation.

The viral post, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” had falsely claimed that the WTO chief accused Nigerian leaders of “prioritising rhetoric over decisive action” on insecurity and urged President Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches and secure the people.”

Condemning the impersonation, Okonjo-Iweala said the authors should take responsibility for their opinions instead of hiding behind her identity.

“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 added.

Context: Trump’s Controversial Remarks and Tinubu’s Response

Okonjo-Iweala’s clarification follows renewed controversy over comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Christians were being persecuted in Nigeria.

Trump claimed the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings continued — a statement that sparked widespread reactions across Nigeria.

Responding, President Tinubu dismissed Trump’s claims as misleading, stressing that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration engages 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, describing foreign portrayals of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant nation as “inaccurate and inconsistent with our diversity and unity.”

The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with the United States and other international partners to foster mutual understanding and protect communities of all faiths.