In a stern warning, World Trade Organization Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has cautioned Nigerian politicians against using her name and image to further their political interests.
Okonjo-Iweala’s warning comes after a fake social media post circulated, claiming she criticized the subsidy removal policy of the Bola Tinubu administration and Nigeria’s growing debt profile.
The WTO chief took to social media to denounce the post as fake and warned those responsible to stop misattributing statements to her.
She emphasized that she will continue to rebut any attempts to misuse her name and image for political purposes.
Okonjo-Iweala’s warning is seen as a move to distance herself from Nigeria’s political landscape and maintain her international reputation.
Her statement has been shared widely on social media, with many Nigerians praising her for taking a stand against political manipulation.
In a tweet via her verified X handle on Monday, she cautioned those behind the post and several others on the internet to desist from “putting words in her mouth.
“It appears that there are people in Nigeria trying to use my name and image on social media to fight battles on different sides of the political divide, putting words in my mouth that I never said,” Okonjo-Iweala tweeted.
“Therefore, I want to alert everyone that the message below is FAKE. This is a stern warning to all those trying to misuse my name for their political ends that I will continue to rebut any attempts to use my name and image falsely,” she added.
