Popular Rivers philanthropist, content creator and brand influencer, Dorathy Osaronu, has become the centre of heated online reactions after a video of her expressing support for the ruling party went viral.
Osaronu, who is physically challenged and widely known on social media for her philanthropic activities and lifestyle content, recently appeared in a video singing in support of President Bola Tinubu’s mandate.
The clip quickly spread across social media platforms and soon attracted thousands of reactions.
While some viewers simply disagreed with her political stance, the situation took a darker turn when many online users began mocking her disability and flooding her comment sections with offensive remarks and edited images.
Trolls reportedly dropped the same mocking images across multiple posts on her pages, turning her timeline into a battleground of ridicule.
The actions have since triggered criticism from several social media users who believe the attacks crossed the line from political disagreement into outright cruelty.
Among those who spoke out was Port Harcourt personality Brian Jonah Dennis, who condemned the online harassment in a strongly worded post.
Reacting to the ongoing trolling, Dennis wrote that the same people attacking Osaronu today would suddenly begin preaching kindness if something tragic were to happen.
“Tomorrow if someone dies, the people that have spent the past four days piling vile things and bitterness on Dorathy will suddenly remember that ‘life is fickle’ and start spreading messages like ‘Be kind’,” he wrote.
“But none of that matters now because they’re mocking a physically challenged person.
“It is all ‘hahas’ and who can farm the most comments about her.
No introspection on whether they are being mean. You only remember kindness when a person dies. You people are not that deep. Na mumu dey take una serious.”
Another Facebook user also weighed in on the controversy, stressing that political disagreement should never become an excuse for attacking someone’s physical condition.
“I don’t know Dorathy Osaronu, but I’ll say this clearly: if you use her zero mobility status to mock her, share content that ridicules her, or even repeat mockery from others—brother, sister, you are an idiot.
“What she has demonstrated is preference, and whether you agree with it or not, she is exercising her right to choose.
Even if that choice offends your sensibilities, it remains her right.
“Nothing about that gives anyone the license to attack how God has uniquely and beautifully made her.”
The controversy has reignited conversations about online bullying, particularly when it involves people living with disabilities. Many observers argue that while political debates are expected in a democratic society, personal attacks that target someone’s physical condition should never be part of the conversation.
