BREAKING: Super Falcons star Esther Okoronkwo denies viral quote praising Tinubu after WAFCON reception
Joseph Irikefe
Super Falcons forward, Esther Okoronkwo, has publicly disowned a viral quote praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which was widely circulated following the team’s victory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Okoronkwo, who had an impressive tournament—scoring two goals, providing six assists in six matches, and winning Woman of the Match awards in both the semi-final and final against hosts Morocco—was part of the victorious Super Falcons squad hosted by President Tinubu at Aso Rock in a high-profile reception.
Shortly after the presidential reception, a quote began to circulate on social media, credited to Okoronkwo and portraying her as being deeply moved by President Tinubu’s hospitality.
The alleged quote, initially posted by the verified Instagram account @renewedhope2027, read:
“I was absolutely surprised by the way the President welcomed, honoured, and celebrated us.
As you already know, I’m Igbo, and because of the 2023 elections, there’s a way people portrayed the President as a bad person, calling him all sorts of names. I had that mentality too. But after meeting him yesterday, I saw a completely different person. Caring, kind, with a great sense of humour. He is nothing like what they say. If you meet him, you’ll definitely fall in love with him. May the President succeed.”
The post quickly went viral and was framed as a personal endorsement of President Tinubu by the footballer.
However, in a swift response, Esther Okoronkwo took to her verified Snapchat account to deny ever making such comments. Sharing a screenshot of the circulating post, she wrote:
“Abeg, when did I talk this one?” followed by an “SMH” (shaking my head) emoji.
Her denial has since sparked widespread criticism of the post’s original source, raising fresh concerns about misinformation, political propaganda, and the exploitation of public figures for partisan purposes.
Neither the Presidency nor the Instagram account @renewedhope2027 has responded to the footballer’s rebuttal as of press time.
Okoronkwo remains a key figure in the Super Falcons’ ongoing rise, with many Nigerians hailing her performance at WAFCON as one of the tournament’s highlights.