Nigerian social media personality Peller has reacted to the ongoing debate over a young woman who recently addressed businessman Tony Elumelu by his first name.
Peller suggested that he would have faced significantly harsher criticism if he had been the person involved in the incident.
“If I was the one who called Tony Elumelu ‘Tony’ yesterday, the whole internet would have shut down,” Peller said.
He added that Nigerians would likely have mocked his educational background and used the incident as another reason to criticise him.
“People would be calling me an ‘Olodo uprising’ and saying that’s why education is important. But because that girl is a graduate, nobody is saying anything about it,” he added.
His comments come amid a wider online conversation about respect, age, social status and the appropriate way for younger people to address prominent figures.
The debate began after a young woman reportedly referred to Elumelu simply as “Tony,” prompting him to correct her and ask that she address him as “Mr. Elumelu.”
The incident has generated mixed reactions. While some Nigerians believe the young woman should have used a formal title out of respect, others argue that using someone’s first name is common in modern professional and international settings.
Peller’s remarks have now added another dimension to the discussion, with the entertainer questioning whether public reactions would have been different if the person involved had been someone with a different social or educational background.
The conversation continues to highlight differing views about traditional Nigerian etiquette and changing attitudes toward professional and social interactions.
