Paystack co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Ezra Olubi, has publicly alleged that he was unjustly dismissed from the Africa-based financial technology company following accusations of inappropriate conduct that circulated online in November 2025.
Okay News reports that the dispute began when a social media post by an individual who had previously been acquainted with Mr. Olubi accused him of harmful behaviour. The claim quickly spread across major social media platforms, prompting internet users to revisit several old posts attributed to Mr. Olubi.
The controversy intensified after past tweets he issued many years ago resurfaced and generated widespread criticism. Many online users interpreted the resurfaced posts as inappropriate, although no formal legal complaint had been filed at the time.
Following the online uproar, Paystack issued a public statement confirming that Mr. Olubi had been suspended while the organisation initiated a review. The company noted that it intended to appoint an independent investigator to examine all the allegations thoroughly.
However, in a blog post he released on Sunday, 23 November 2025, and titled Terminated, Mr. Olubi stated that his contract was revoked even though the investigation had not been concluded. According to him, he was also denied an opportunity to respond to the allegations before the termination.
He wrote, “Over the past few days, my name and reputation, built over years as co-founder and technical leader at Paystack, have been called into question because of information circulating online.”
Mr. Olubi explained that Paystack’s board informed him about an “independent” investigation, which led him to maintain silence. “Once that process began, I chose not to make any public statements. I did this to avoid interfering with the investigation and because I expected a fair, thorough and unbiased review of the allegations being discussed online,” he stated.
He added that he never received a hearing before the termination was issued. He wrote, “I was not given a meeting or an opportunity to respond before my contract was ended,” further claiming that the company’s decision “appeared to contravene the terms of my suspension and the company’s internal policies.”
According to his account, the silence he maintained during the investigative period created space for “assumptions and misrepresentations to spread without challenge.”
Mr. Olubi also expressed that the controversial posts do not represent his values or behaviour. He wrote, “Those who know me personally or professionally understand that the posts being circulated do not reflect my conduct or the way I have lived my life. I have always… conducted myself in a manner that respects everyone’s dignity and safety.”
He concluded that his legal representatives were preparing to “explore possible steps in response.”
Paystack, founded in 2015 by Mr. Olubi and Mr. Shola Akinlade, became one of Africa’s most influential digital payment companies. In 2016, it became the first Nigerian startup admitted into the globally recognised Y Combinator accelerator in the United States of America. The company was later acquired by the international financial technology corporation Stripe for more than two hundred million United States dollars in 2020.
