- Omoyele Sowore aimed at billionaire Tony Elumelu following a viral video of a graduate trainee addressing him informally
- Sowore’s X post reignited debate about respect, wealth, and power in Nigerian professional spaces
- Nigerians are divided over whether Sowore’s comments were justified or simply clout-chasing
Activist and politician Omoyele Sowore has waded into the controversy surrounding a graduate trainee who addressed billionaire Tony Elumelu by his first name at a corporate event, and his take has left the internet sharply divided.
A video of the young woman calling Elumelu “Tony” during what appeared to be the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s graduate trainee programme went viral recently, with Nigerians offering wildly different opinions on whether the interaction was disrespectful or perfectly normal.
Source: Instagram
Sowore takes a swipe at Elumelu
Rather than criticise the trainee, Sowore used the moment to fire shots at Elumelu himself. In a post on X, the activist doubled down on his long-standing assessment of the business mogul, writing: “Don’t call me Tony, call me Mr. Elumelu or ‘TOE.’ When I said Tony Elumelu is a content creator with little or no intellect, his supporters were enraged. Now, what exactly is the difference between being called ‘Tony’ and ‘TOE’? Much ado about nothing! This is what Nigerians used to call ‘money miss road.'”
Source: Instagram
Sowore’s post, which suggested that Elumelu’s objection to being called “Tony” was hypocritical given that he prefers the acronym “TOE,” quickly gained traction online.
Here is the X tweet of the activist about Tony Elumelu that got fans talking:
Fans react to Sowore’s post
The reactions were far from uniform, with some users backing Sowore while others were unimpressed.
@Sapphirefluid wrote:
“Only God knows what will become of this country if you ever become president. You encourage a lot of negative behaviour.”
@22packshakur reacted:
“Make I first unfollow you. See who wants to be president! jokers”
@the_Lawrenz commented:
“You no get sense at all. Clout chaser.”
However, others rallied behind Sowore’s perspective, particularly on the broader cultural question of how African leaders demand deference.
@Xsknight1234 wrote:
“I support you on this one. Africans just carry stupid respect for head. I don see when ordinary citizens dey call Zuckerberg ‘mark’ dey call musk ‘elon’ but here dem Wan make dem add sir to everything. How much he get sef? Still come mumu say make dem call am ‘Toe’ no be same thing with ‘Tony’? That girl just dey disappointed at the man foolishness.”
Engfab added:
“How did he even made his money? You can tell the power drunk attitude of an Africa man! Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos would never talk down on that beautiful respectful lady!”
Kulimented also chimed in:
“If she was a white girl/American or any young lady her age from the West. Tony would be smiling like a fool in response to them. Our African old folks always find a way to kill our voices and confidence in the name of Respect.”
The debate over the original video has clearly opened a wider conversation about hierarchy, generational attitudes, and what respect should look like in modern Nigerian workplaces.
Doris Ogala appreciates Omoyele over freedom
Legit.ng had reported that Doris Ogala announced that she had regained her freedom after being released from police detention following her arrest linked to Pastor Chris Okafor.
The actress had previously made several allegations against the cleric regarding their alleged romantic relationship, claiming that their relationship later turned sour.
Her release sparked reactions online, with fans celebrating the development and taunting the cleric in response to VDM’s video about the actress’s case.
Source: Legit.ng