Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala under fire over Tinubu’s photo

Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has come under fire over photographs she tweeted from the leadership summit in Paris, France.

Okonjo-Iweala had posted a photograph where President Bola Tinubu was alleged to have been cropped out.

Tinubu attended the summit for ‘A New Global Financing Pact’ convened by the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The summit afforded Tinubu the opportunity of projecting, on a global stage, his advocacy for widening the fiscal space, economic justice for Africa as the world accelerates the pace of energy transition, and the urgency of addressing the pressing issues of poverty and climate change.

However, the photograph posted by Okonjo-Iweala has generated controversy on social media.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adamu Garba, criticized Okonjo-Iweala for posting the photograph.

Garba said the former Nigerian Minister of Finance can’t spite at Tinubu with such a photograph.

Taking to their Twitter handles, some Nigerians wrote….

Garba: “If she like, let her not acknowledge or recognize the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The same Nigeria that did everything for her to become who she is today, the leader of same party, APC, which gave her the wherewithal to get her current office as DG of WTO.

“If doing so is to spite Tinubu as a person, she should know that Tinubu is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Whoever spites at him has done so against the government and the people of Nigeria. And we noted that. Indeed, rebellion is the greatest of all sins.”

@LydiaTeeanaJaja: “Wow so she literally cropped out the part President Tinubu was showing.

“God cannot be mocked and that’s why Peter Obi can never be President of Nigeria. The Igbos will learn the hard way.”

@jadesolar_01: “This is Ngozi Okonjo Iweala who became the DG of WTO with the support of the APC administration, today she went for a summit in France and intentionally cropped out President Tinubu from all her pictures, the south Easterners are the most dangerous people to share country with.

“Iya agbaya like you, the hatred all of you have for south west will end up consuming you, whether you like it or not Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is your president for the next 8 years, and as far as Nigeria is concerned, no Igbo man will ever become the president of this great Nation.”

Why my picture with Tinubu was posted late – Okonjo-Iweala

Meanwhile, the World Trade Organisation DG has explained why she posted pictures of herself and President Bola Tinubu at the financial summit in Paris late.

She noted that she posted photos in the order received by her accompanying staff or colleagues.

The WTO boss had on Friday shared photos with some presidents she met with at the event on Twitter.

After she posted, netizens criticised her for not posting a picture with Tinubu.

She, however, shared pictures with Tinubu and other presidents on Saturday.

Reacting to the criticism, she tweeted, “Nigerians please relax! Re: Paris, Interesting attacks from both sides sadly show 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!”