The past few days has reignited a long-running conversation about social media accountability. Paystack co-founder Ezra Olubi became the centre of public scrutiny on Thursday after media personality Max Obae (Maki) accused him of sexual misconduct, and misrepresentation of his identity during their relationship.
The controversy escalated dramatically when old social media posts attributed to Olubi resurfaced, prompting him to deactivate his X (formerly Twitter) account. The allegations, combined with a growing archive of disturbing historical tweets have raised urgent questions about personal conduct, power dynamics, and how the culture of Twitter has shifted over time.
But beyond Olubi himself, the scandal has become a case study in the evolution of Twitter as a platform, from the early days when users treated it as a private diary, to today’s era where old posts can resurface and ruin reputations overnight.
Allegations, Accusations, and the Digital Trail
The controversy began when Maki publicly accused Olubi of manipulation, claiming he concealed his true intentions under the guise of being queer-friendly and socially progressive. According to her, this persona masked multiple romantic entanglements, primarily with women, outside the queer community, creating what she described as “a pattern of deception.”
The claims gained traction as previously published posts from Olubi’s account, dating back to 2010 to 2013 and referencing sexualised content involving minors, animals, incest, and extreme fetishism circulated widely online.
Some examples include:
“Add ‘clueless’ to that list. I like them young, innocent, and clueless.” (04/04/2012)
“Sometimes, I just go on all fours and follow the cat around the house… blowing air on his anus.” (12/02/2011)
“I have a touching relationship with my cousin. Can’t wait to get to third base.” (24/02/2017)
Digital archivists and commentators, including social media users highlighted additional posts referencing grooming, extreme sexual perversions, and fetishistic behaviour.
The combination of Maki’s allegations and the resurfaced tweets has revived another conversation about what Twitter used to be, and what it has now become.
When Twitter Was a Diary
To understand the intensity of today’s backlash, it is essential to revisit what Twitter once was.
Between 2009 and 2014, Twitter functioned differently from the political, cultural, and economic battleground it is today. To many users, it was a casual, semi-private space. People tweeted as though no one was watching, using the platform as a diary to vent, joke, rant, or post unfiltered, often reckless thoughts.
- Most tweets reached only a handful of followers.
- There was no algorithm amplifying content across continents.
- Viral tweets were rare and unpredictable.
- Employers, journalists, and institutions did not yet consider Twitter a public archive.
In those early years, people tweeted impulsively, often without regard for consequences, believing posts would disappear into obscurity. The culture of accountability, call-outs, and digital investigations was virtually non-existent.
This was the “Old Twitter”. It was in this environment that many of Olubi’s old posts were written.
The Rise of “New Twitter”
Over the past decade, Twitter has evolved into something far more powerful and permanent. Today:
- Tweets are indexed, archived, and searchable.
- Anyone’s posts can go viral within minutes.
- Journalists, employers, and the public routinely use old tweets as evidence of character.
- Public figures are expected to maintain consistent, responsible digital personas.
- Users are judged not only by what they say now, but what they said years ago.
The new Twitter is now a global stage, not a diary. It is an environment where screenshots outlive apologies, old posts can be weaponised, context often disappears, the court of public opinion moves quickly, and“receipts” have become central to credibility
In this landscape, a tweet from 12 years ago can derail a career today. The Olubi situation illustrates this shift.
“Olubi’s predicament highlights the collision between past online behaviour and present standards,” James Mercy, a X user told Techparley. “The tweets being circulated belonged to an era when people tweeted without restraint. But they are now being judged within the moral, cultural, and legal frameworks of 2025.”
“In many ways, Olubi has become the latest reminder of a new reality: your old tweets are no longer harmless—they are a record that can and will be used to assess your character,” Adedayo Ibrahim, another user on X said.
What Comes After New Twitter?
As Twitter transitions fully into its next era, the boundaries between personal and public life continue to blur.
According to media experts, the future of Twitter and social media at large is likely to be defined by increased digital audits, stronger calls for transparency, heightened expectations of public figures, cultural intolerance for harmful or offensive content, and a societal understanding that online behaviour is an extension of real-life behaviour
Where Old Twitter allowed users to be reckless, New Twitter demands responsibility.
The Ezra Olubi episode may or may not fade with time, but the broader lesson will remain that the internet stores everything, and the present will always revisit the past.
Talking Points
The Ezra Olubi controversy underscores how drastically Twitter has evolved from its early days as a casual microblogging platform into a high-stakes public arena with real-world consequences.
It is particularly striking how Old Twitter functioned almost like a personal diary, where users posted unfiltered thoughts without imagining that the platform would one day become a searchable, permanent archive. This cultural and technical shift explains why many of Olubi’s resurfaced posts were originally treated as harmless commentary but now attract intense scrutiny.
At Techparley, we see this as a powerful case study in the intersection of technology, digital identity, and accountability. The architecture of New Twitter means users are now held accountable in ways that were not technologically possible a decade ago.
This shift has transformed Twitter from a low-visibility social space into a critical part of Africa’s tech ecosystem, where founders, creators, and influencers are judged not just by their current achievements but by their entire digital footprint.
For Africans, the Olubi case is a reminder that digital transparency is now an unavoidable part of leadership. There is an opportunity for platforms, startups, and regulators to rethink digital identity, privacy, and the long-term implications of online behaviour.
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