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Paystack has been thrown into image crisis after allegations of sexual misconduct triggered the suspension of its Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ezra Olubi, following the eruption of decade-old tweets that has been condemned across across Nigeria’s tech space.
The uproar began on Wednesday when someone who once had a personal relationship with Olubi posted a public complaint online.
That single post reopened a vault of controversial tweets he made between 2009 and 2013, posts many described as disturbing, inappropriate, and in some cases, involving references to colleagues and minors.
Among the resurfaced tweets were, “I judge my female friends by the sound their pee make. Thanks to the audio in my bathroom.”
“Save water. Take a bath with your neighbour’s daughter. Monday will be more fun with an ‘a’ in it. Touch a coworker today. Inappropriately.”
As the reactions spiralled, Olubi quickly deactivated his X account.
On Friday, Paystack confirmed to TechCabal that it had taken action, announcing, “Paystack is aware of the allegations involving our Co-founder, Ezra Olubi. Effective immediately, Ezra has been suspended from all duties and responsibilities pending the outcome of a formal investigation.”
“Out of respect for the individuals involved and to protect the integrity of the process, we will not be commenting further until the investigation is complete,” the company added,
Paystack, founded in 2015 by Olubi and Shola Akinlade, grew rapidly into one of Africa’s leading payment companies, becoming the first Nigerian startup accepted into Y Combinator before being acquired by Stripe in 2020 for over $200 million.
Now, the celebrated fintech giant is battling a major public scandal, with its co-founder at the centre of an online storm that shows no signs of fading.
