Portable Loses Over 100,000 Followers After Referring to Protesters as ‘Poor and Lazy’

Nigerian street artist Habeeb Okikiola, widely known as Portable, is facing significant backlash after a video of him making disparaging remarks about hunger protesters went viral.

In the controversial video, Portable labeled the protesters as “poor and lazy,” suggesting that their participation in street protests was a result of their lack of hard work. “Poor people and poor thinking,” Portable stated in the video, in response to questions about his absence from ongoing protests against bad governance in Nigeria.

His comments have sparked widespread outrage, leading to a substantial decrease in his social media following. Previously boasting 2.9 million followers on Instagram, Portable’s count has dropped to 2.8 million in a short span of time. Fans have taken to social media to voice their displeasure and organize a mass unfollow campaign.

Social media reactions were swift and intense. User @tijani_saeed declared, “We don cancel portable button>>>>>>”, while @i_am_timiboy urged others, “Let’s report this MuMu >>>>>>>”. Another user, @ere_blinkz, echoed the sentiment, “Report this guy acct”. Similarly, @mesk_ana1 called for collective action, stating, “Let we all report his account, no leave his account without reporting, report and unfollow him, we made him the celebrity he think he is so let’s take the celebrity back from him.”

Portable, in another video, defended his stance by stating there were no protests in Sango, Ogun State, where he resides. He mentioned that previous demonstrations had been ignored by the government, prompting him and his community to focus on their daily hustle instead.

The fallout from Portable’s remarks underscores the power of public opinion on social media and its impact on celebrities. As the backlash continues, it remains to be seen how Portable will respond to the loss of support from his once-loyal fanbase.