Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, is facing fierce backlash on social media after amplifying a controversial X post that referred to Igbo people as “monkeys and children of gorillas.”
The incident, first reported by Peoples Gazette, showed Mrs Dabiri-Erewa reposting a message from user @akerele_s, who praised her while describing Igbos as “monkeys, children of gorillas and bastards.”
“My sister, you are doing well, allow those monkeys to continue to make unnecessary noises. They are born to be ungrateful people. Those animals tagging you, they are children of gorilla history told us about them. Kudos to you, Madam @abikedabiri. @Voiceofigbos see what my sister has done omo ale jatijati,” the post read.
Dabiri-Erewa reposted the message with laughter memes, a move widely interpreted as endorsement. The reaction was immediate, with critics labeling her a bigot and questioning her fitness for public office.
Sharing a screenshot of her repost, @MrEnugu1wrote, “Abike is the grandmother of bigotry.”
Similarly, @OkeyKingsman remarked that she “will be the first minister of tribalism and bigotry in the history of Nigeria,” while @nedusteve branded her the “queen mother” of bigotry.
Others argued that her action reflects the disposition of the Tinubu-led government.
@UcheNdubisi11 wrote, “What is unfolding before us all is a full-blown policy stance and acceptance of xenophobia. Tinubu and his cohorts have realized that without the machinations of tribal hate, he couldn’t be anything politically; therefore, xenophobia/tribal hate has become a yielding weapon!”
Activist Aisha Yesufu also weighed in, tweeting, “Whenever you think this woman wouldn’t go lower, she finds a way of really digging in and finding a new low. The bigotry you have seen online has support from their leaders! What a despicable shame!”
Another critic, @achieverwealth, blasted the NiDCOM boss, saying, “I have seen people go low and some even lower, but this woman @abikedabiri, she is beyond gutters in her bigotry. In fact, she is below the sea level. In a saner clime, she ought to have been sacked by now and placed under investigation with a touch of psychological test.”
Similarly, @faroukpseudonym wrote, “The bigotry you see Ronu Rascals displaying on X is proudly sponsored by senior government officials. A child whose father sends to steal kicks the door in with reckless abandon.”
