Paystack dismissed Ezra Olubi, but he maintains that due process was violated. Ezra Olubi, the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Paystack, has said that it is unjust to fire him from his position at the firm, since he was instrumental in the company's success. On Monday, November 24, the IT community was shocked to learn that Paystack had fired Ezra from his position. At first, the business, which became a unicorn in 2020, claimed to be using an outside, impartial investigator to investigate the claims of sexual misconduct made against Ezra.
Even more startling, though, was Ezra's blog post declaring that his appointment had been canceled over the weekend without a fair hearing or due process.
"I was notified that my job had been terminated on Saturday, November 22, 2025. In blatant violation of both Paystack's internal procedures and the terms of the suspension, this decision was made before the purported inquiry was finished and without any meeting, hearing, or chance for me to address the concerns brought up.
Osita James Uche, Managing Partner at Blackcrest Law, told Techpoint Africa that the conditions of Ezra's contract following Stripe's acquisition of Paystack will have a big impact on the company's future.
According to Uche, "there may be clauses that state that the founders will stay back for several years to support operations when there is a merger or acquisition." Sometimes the decision to remain is made voluntarily. If they discover that he has engaged in any wrongdoing, it will be extremely simple to remove him from his position if it was voluntary. However, things get more complicated if it is required under the contract.
He continues by saying that the founders could still have enough power to influence the board's decision following the probe if the acquisition gave them significant ownership, board positions, or operational flexibility.
"The board will need to vote on the ultimate decision if he is still a major shareholder and possibly a director. Once more, though, the board cannot cast a vote until the probe yields any results.
It seems like Paystack decided to fire Ezra in an effort to safeguard their brand and make it clear that the company cares deeply about how employee behavior, both inside and outside the company, impacts its image.
Ezra Olubi: "I had no opportunity to defend myself."
Ezra said in his succinct blog post that the company's internal procedures were not followed and that, before his dismissal, the investigations had not even come to a conclusion.
"I have contributed to the establishment of the systems and procedures that support Paystack's internal operations as a co-founder, technical leader, and longtime board member. I participated in this inquiry in good faith and complied completely with the Board's instructions.
The procedure that resulted in my alleged firing is currently being examined by my legal team to see if it complies with internal regulations. I won't be making any more comments on this issue at this time; they will take whatever action they see necessary.
Ezra has decided to fight what he views as an unfair firing, and he has enlisted the help of his legal team. We'll have to wait and watch how this drama plays out to determine whether or not this is a wise decision.
