Mixed Reactions As Okonjo-Iweala Rejects Photo With Tinubu

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Saturday came under heavy critism after posting pictures of herself with other Presidents at the Paris Global Financial summit but conspicuously missing Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria.

Daily Bells reported that President Tinubu jetted out of Nigeria on Tuesday to Paris in France to attend the Global Financial Summit.

Tinubu attended the conference that was hosted by French President, Emmanuel Macron along with other world leaders.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who also attended the event seized the opportunity to take pictures with world leaders and shared them on her verified Twitter handle.

The photographs which emerged on social media showed how Okonjo-Iweala was interacting with the Presidents of Brazil, Senegal, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia.

Following the photos which conspicuously omitted President Tinubu, aggrieved Nigerians have taken to their Twitter handles to criticise the WTO DG.

They contend that Okonjo-Iweala’s failure to give the President of her nation top priority and share a photograph with him raises doubts about her devotion and is interpreted as a slight on Tinubu.

Online Twitter users expressed their displeasure, stating that Okonjo-Iweala’s actions diminished the importance of the Nigerian President’s attendance at the meeting and might be seen as an insult to him.

Many tagged her an IPOB apologist who only used Nigeria to attain her personal goals.

However, Okonjo-Iweala later apologised and uploaded photographs she appeared with Tinubu and other set of leaders at the summit.

Reacting, she wrote, “Nigerians please relax! Re Paris, Interesting attacks from both sides. Sadly shows the depth of polarization 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.”