In the shifting landscape of Nigerian X (formerly Twitter), few topics highlight cultural evolution better than the resurfacing of old posts from Singer Simi and Paystack co-founder Ezra Olubi. Between late 2025 and now, both have faced backlash over tweets from the early 2010s (and even 2009 for Olubi). These sensitive posts, often framed as "edgy humour" from Twitter's more playful days, have sparked debates on accountability, double standards, and forgiveness. Since Grok has a memory of X’s real-time and historical data, Condia asked it to act as a digital archaeologist and compare the cultural climate of then versus now. Grok, an AI-powered assistant developed by xAI integrated into X, leveraged the platform’s real-time data stream to provide insights on the controversies. Here's a condensed chat exploring the evolution and why one case saw relative forgiveness while the other ended a career. Q: How has Nigerian Twitter's tone changed from 2011–2013 to 2024–2026, especially around edgy humour and sensitive topics like children? Grok: Early Nigerian Twitter felt like a "playful frontier"—a nascent space for banter, pop culture, and light activism (think OccupyNigeria). Edgy humour was a coping tool for poverty, politics, and absurdities; crude jokes or family anecdotes flew freely with minimal backlash in a small, camaraderie-filled community. By 2024–2026, it's more polarized and toxic: economic hardships, governance failures, tribalism, and post-#EndSARS awareness amplified divisions. Edgy content now risks being labeled harmful or insensitive. Jokes about depression, banditry, or children face criticism for trivializing crises. Personal anecdotes involving kids shifted from casual relatability to advocacy-focused warnings about safety and trauma. Q: What is 'digital archaeology,' and how did users initially react to Simi and Olubi's old tweets when first posted? Grok: Digital archaeology means digging up and resurfacing old posts to expose inconsistencies or past behaviours clashing with current personas. In Nigeria, it exploded post-2020 as a tool for accountability (or mob justice). Simi's 2012 tweets (age 23) were casual, light-hearted anecdotes about playful interactions with young boys at her mother's daycare—joking about a child being "flirty." Initial reactions were minimal; the platform was small, standards lax, and such banter normalized. Olubi's 2009–2013 tweets were more explicit: jokes about erections, references to minors, voyeurism, and workplace impropriety. Back then, overlooked or chuckled at in an edgier era with little moderation. Q: What's different in responses now, and why? Grok: Now, reactions are intense, viral, and consequential. Simi's tweets resurfaced in February 2026 amid her anti-rape stance during a scandal involving false accusations. Critics accused her of hypocrisy or worse ("depraved," "perverted"). She defended context, refused full apology, deleted some tweets, and saw divided opinions—some called for cancellation, but many defended her as misinterpreted or from a different time. She lost some followers/Spotify listeners but retained significant support. Olubi's resurfaced in late 2025, tied to misconduct allegations. Outrage was swift: disgust over minor references, leading to suspension, then firing from Paystack for "significant negative reputational damage." He deactivated his account; an independent probe followed. Differences stem from societal shifts: heightened #MeToo-like awareness, child protection norms, and platform growth making digs easier. Economic bitterness fuels venting via cancellations. Q: How has accountability vocabulary evolved—dragging in 2012 vs. canceling in 2026? Grok: In 2012, "dragging" meant witty, humorous roasting—public call-outs rooted in Black Twitter "reading" traditions. It was ephemeral, rarely beyond embarrassment. By 2026, "canceling" is collective disinvestment: boycotts, firings, ostracism. In Nigeria, it involves digital archaeology and demands real fallout. The shift reflects lowered offense thresholds: old casual posts now scrutinized through modern lenses (consent, child safety). Punishment escalated from shade to career-ending. Yet application is inconsistent—double standards, forgiveness culture, tribal/gender biases persist. Q: So why did Twitter seem to forgive Simi more than Olubi? Grok: Reactions weren't identical forgiveness—both faced backlash—but outcomes diverged sharply. Olubi lost his job; Simi weathered criticism with fan defense and no professional ruin. Key factors from discourse: Content nuance: Simi's were interpreted as innocent daycare anecdotes (misinterpreted/misrepresented per her); Olubi's more explicit/graphic (minors, bestiality jokes). Context & trigger: Simi's resurfaced during her advocacy stance, sparking hypocrisy claims but also sympathy ("false accusations" parallel). Olubi's tied to workplace misconduct allegations, escalating severity. Gender & celebrity dynamics: Many users noted hypocrisy—Ezra "crucified" while Simi gets grace. Defenders argued precedents: if a man tweeted similarly, no forgiveness. Yet celebrity status, likability, and "women get hall passes" perceptions influenced softer treatment for Simi. Era framing: Both from "edgy humour" days when norms differed. Some argue context matters; others insist harm is harm, no retroactive pass. Selective outrage: Nigerian X shows double standards—gender, fame, or tribal biases. Ezra's case set a harsh precedent; Simi's tested it, with mixed enforcement. The "edgy humour" era's casual posts haunt differently based on who you are and when they're dug up. In 2026 Nigeria, accountability is real, but often inconsistent.
