A social media user who identified herself as a former supporter of Nigeria’s opposition “Obidient” movement has said she quit the group after she was attacked online for praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s leader, over the federal student loan programme.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the user, Ayo (@mariolexxx), said she had commented on a post by Tunde Ednut, a Nigerian entertainment blogger and influencer, describing the student loan initiative as “a great move from the president” after the government introduced the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
She alleged that other “Obidients”, a label widely used for supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, responded by bullying her online.
Ayo claimed the abuse escalated after her comments were pinned on Tunde Ednut’s page, which she said drew hostile replies from other users. She added that she later deactivated her Instagram account and decided to leave what she called the “Obidense camp”.
NELFUND is the government-backed body created to administer Nigeria’s student loan initiative, which offers interest-free loans aimed at reducing financial barriers to higher education and skills training in Africa’s most populous country.