NairaLand, Seun apologies to Igbos over advert on his site

Seun Osewa, the founder of NairaLand, has issued an apology to the Igbos for a controversial advert that was featured on his platform during the recent elections.

The ad had been widely criticized for its divisive and misleading message.

In a statement posted on his website, Seun expressed regret for allowing such an advert to appear on NairaLand, and acknowledged that his platform should have had clear policies against such content.

Founder of NairaLand, Seun apologies to Igbos over controversial advert on his site

The ad, which stated that “Lagos can never be run from Anambra; go and vote,” had sparked tensions between different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

As a way of making amends, Seun has promised to donate double the amount earned from the ad – N16,000 – to victims of political violence in Lagos.

His apology has been well-received, particularly by members of the Igbo community who had felt offended by the ad.

The incident has sparked discussions about the role of social media in promoting responsible and inclusive discourse, and many hope that Seun’s actions will lead to positive changes in this regard.

Overall, Seun’s apology has been seen as a step towards promoting unity and understanding between different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Seun wrote:

“Seun Osewa 1 I Zr @seunosewa
An Apology To The Igbo People Of Nigeria by Seun(m): 3:39 pm
Dear Igbo People,
I sincerely apologize for allowing a toxic political banner advert that said, “Lagos can never be run from Anambra; go and vote” to run on Nairaland for several hours on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
The mischievously worded banner advert appears to have been part of an ethnically divisive political campaign aimed at securing Lagos State for the ruling party by instilling fear in Yoruba people, making them believe that Igbo people intended to “take over” Lagos State.

Such ethnically divisive political campaigns have no place in a forward-thinking democracy, and for this reason, the ad should have been taken down instantly. No harm was intended, but my lack of forethought about the ethics of that type of advert led to a disappointing outcome.

We should have had a clear policy against accepting negative and ethnically divisive ads on Nairaland, we should have communicated it to all advertisers, and we should have taken down any advert that violated that policy instantly. This will all be in place before the next election.
We made almost N16,000 from the ad. We will double it and donate it to victims of political violence in Lagos.
Please, do NOT give up on Nigeria. The times are challenging, but TOGETHER, we will overcome.
Sincerely, Seun Osewa.”

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Seun, founder of NairaLand apologies to Igbos over controversial advert on his website