Prominent activist Aisha Yesufu has hit back at investigative journalist David Hundeyin, dismissing his criticisms as baseless and motivated by personal grievances. In a fiery response on X (formerly Twitter), Yesufu accused Hundeyin of being a “coward” and a “validation-seeking junkie” who repeatedly targets her to gain attention.
Hundeyin had earlier accused Yesufu of dishonesty in public debates, particularly in relation to her role in the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaign and the alleged political motivations behind the movement. He tied the controversy to recent claims that USAID was secretly funding Boko Haram, suggesting that the BBOG movement had been exploited as part of a broader foreign-backed operation to unseat former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Yesufu, however, dismissed his arguments, calling them an opportunistic attempt to revive his long-standing criticism of her.
“David Hundeyin is now conveniently using the recent USAID conspiracy theory as the basis for his annual ‘Take Aisha Yesufu Down’ campaign, meanwhile he had already started attacking me even before the USAID story broke,” she wrote.
She went on to allege that Hundeyin harbors deep resentment toward her, claiming that he blames her and other activists for the failure of Jonathan’s re-election bid.
“He said we destroyed his 25-year-old entitled existence by not voting for Jonathan,” she added, implying that Hundeyin’s criticism is rooted in personal disappointment rather than objective analysis.
Yesufu also accused Hundeyin of selective activism, alleging that he only goes after corrupt politicians who are easy to criticize but avoids taking on more challenging figures.
“A fraudulent thrash whose investigative skills only come to play when it involves corrupt politicians with skeletons to hide that he can easily bully,” she stated.
She further mocked Hundeyin’s tendency to engage in prolonged online battles but later disengage when confronted.
“He suddenly gets tired when it comes to Aisha Yesufu. Oshe, feeding bottle baby,” she wrote sarcastically, implying that he backs down when faced with strong resistance.
This is not the first time Yesufu and Hundeyin have clashed. The two have frequently found themselves on opposite sides of debates concerning Nigerian politics, activism, and the role of foreign influence in national affairs.
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Yesufu has been a vocal critic of both the Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu administrations, advocating for accountability and good governance. Meanwhile, Hundeyin, known for his investigative work exposing corruption and state misconduct, has repeatedly questioned the motives of figures like Yesufu, accusing them of being complicit in political manipulations.
As tensions continue to escalate between the two outspoken figures, their latest exchange has further fueled debates about the role of activism, foreign influence, and political accountability in Nigeria.
