A fiery social media war has erupted between a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu, and a governance expert, Joe Abah, after Abah made dismissive remarks about Moghalu’s wife, Maryanne.
The clash, which has set the platform X ablaze, stems from a recent debate on ethnic slurs where an old post by Maryanne was dragged into the fray.
The bone of contention was Maryanne’s viral 2024 statement, “Invest in Lagos at your own peril,” which she made following the demolition of properties by the Lagos State Government.
When a social media influencer, Ogbeni Dipo, reminded Abah of the post during the debate, Abah fired back, “Maryanne Moghalu will not stop me or anyone else from investing in Lagos or anywhere else. I didn’t need to respond to that even if I had seen it.”
‘Leave me out of your stories’ – Maryanne hits back
The comment did not go down well with Maryanne, who swiftly clapped back, declaring she had no apology for her stance.
In a strongly-worded response, she stated, “I have absolutely nothing to apologise for about my statement. It was personal, and I reserve the right to make it.”
She accused Abah of playing games and told him pointedly, “Please leave me out of your stories. This was completely unnecessary.”
Defending her position, she argued, “If you invest with approval and it is destroyed at will, no matter where it is, I will say do not invest there. Period.”
She also vehemently denied any ethnic motive behind her warning, stating, “When I made the statement, it was not directed at any tribe.”
Moghalu fumes, accuses Abah of disrespect
The exchange took a more dramatic turn when Kingsley Moghalu entered the ring, lambasting Abah for disrespecting his wife.
Expressing his personal offence, Moghalu lamented that Abah referred to his spouse “in a negative and disrespectful manner in his post.”
“He could have addressed his critics without mentioning my spouse’s name, but of course, he must throw her under the bus to further his vain posturing on social media,” Moghalu fumed.
He stood firmly by his wife, asserting that her famous statement was “emphatically NOT ethnic in its intent or purpose, but rather was about the protection of the rights of investors.”
The public spat is a stark contrast to a panel discussion earlier this year where Moghalu and Abah shared a stage, harmoniously discussing the positive role of social media in national reforms. The current feud highlights how quickly online discourse among Nigeria’s elite can turn from policy to personal attacks.
