Paystack co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer, Ezra Olubi, has said he was dismissed by the company over allegations of sexual misconduct, describing the termination as unfair.
Olubi revealed the development in a blog post published on Sunday, 23 November 2025, titled Terminated.
The controversy began in mid-November when a social media post accusing Olubi of abusive behaviour went viral. The backlash intensified as users unearthed explicit tweets he posted between 2009 and 2013, prompting widespread criticism.
Following the allegations, Paystack confirmed it had suspended Olubi and opened a formal investigation, stating that it had set up a review process and intended to appoint an independent investigator.
However, Olubi said in his blog that he was terminated while the investigation was still ongoing and without an opportunity to defend himself.
“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,” he wrote.
He explained that he remained silent during the investigation to avoid interfering and because he expected a fair and unbiased review. “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,” Olubi said.
He added that he was not granted a hearing before his contract was terminated, stating, “I was not given a meeting or an opportunity to respond before my contract was ended,” and describing the action as contrary to the company’s internal policies. He suggested that the silence during the investigation allowed “assumptions and misrepresentations to spread without challenge.”
Olubi also insisted that the resurfaced tweets do not reflect his conduct. “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 wrote. He added that his legal team would explore possible next steps.
The allegations emerged after an individual who had a previous relationship with Olubi shared personal complaints online. This led to renewed scrutiny of his past tweets, some containing sexually suggestive content involving colleagues and minors. Olubi has since deactivated his X account.
Founded in 2015 by Olubi and Shola Akinlade, Paystack is a leading African payments company. It became the first Nigerian startup accepted into Y Combinator in 2016 and was acquired by Stripe in 2020 for over $200 million.
