Sowore suggested that Elumelu’s objection to being called “Tony” was hypocritical, given that he prefers the acronym “TOE”.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has blasted billionaire and Group Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, following a controversy surrounding a graduate trainee who addressed him by his first name at a corporate event.
The activist-turned-politician reacted to the former United Bank for Africa (UBA) chairman’s response in a post shared on his official X page.
Earlier, a video of the young woman calling Elumelu “Tony” during what appeared to be his foundation’s graduate trainee programme trended online.
In the clip, the woman was heard saying, “Good morning, Tony,” while greeting the businessman. Elumelu initially appeared to mishear her, replying, “Toyin? Toyin?”
When she clarified, he said: “Okay. No, you won’t call me Tony. You’ll call me Mr. Elumelu or TOE. You won’t call me Tony. I don’t subscribe to that kind of… Oyinbo life, okay?”
ALSO READ: Debate rages after Elumelu corrects young lady who called him ‘Tony’
Following the exchange, many Nigerians offered wildly different opinions on whether the interaction was disrespectful or perfectly normal.
However, wading into the saga, Sowore, rather than criticizing the trainee, seized the moment to fire another shot at Elumelu himself.
Doubling down on his long-standing assessment of the business mogul, Sowore argued that Elumelu either has little to no “intellect” or was simply creating content.
Speaking via his verified handle, he said: ”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.””
