Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), faced criticism for not sharing a picture of herself with President Bola Tinubu among the photographs she posted from the leadership summit in Paris.

The summit, focused on the new global financial pact, brought together Tinubu and other world leaders from June 22 to 23.

Okonjo-Iweala took to Twitter to share photos of herself with several world leaders, including Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Macky Sall of Senegal, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, and Emmanuel Macron of France. However, Nigerians on social media expressed disappointment that she did not include a picture with President Tinubu.

Adamu Garba, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former presidential aspirant, criticized Okonjo-Iweala’s action, perceiving it as a slight not only against the president but also against the country. He emphasized that Tinubu is the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and any disrespect towards him is seen as a disrespect towards the government and the people of Nigeria.

In response to the backlash, Okonjo-Iweala later shared additional pictures, including one where she is seen shaking hands with President Tinubu.

However, she clarified that the photos were posted in the order she received them from her colleagues, cautioning against reading more into the situation and stating that the polarization in Nigerian society was disheartening.

She tweeted, “Nigerians please relax! Re Paris, Interesting attacks from both sides. Sadly shows the depth of polarization in our society. I post photos in the order received by accompanying staff or colleagues. Reading more into it is unwarranted. Let’s unite to build our country, not attack!”

Okonjo-Iweala’s response aimed to diffuse the situation and encourage unity among Nigerians, emphasizing the importance of focusing on national development rather than engaging in unnecessary conflicts.