A viral post mocking a graduating student from Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, has sparked an outpouring of support, raising N14 million for him within days.
Madumere Felix Nwachikerendu, who goes by @Felix_the_SUG on X and is popularly known as ‘the Peanut Seller’, became the subject of online jokes on August 31, 2026.
Photos from his final-year project defence were shared by X user @vector_olal with the caption, ‘I just did my final year project defence’, and quickly drew millions of views.
Some commenters criticised his appearance and the fact that he graduated late.
The tone shifted after another X user, Mercy Ninian, said she knew Felix personally and explained what he had gone through at AE-FUNAI.
According to Ninian, the History student battled severe financial challenges throughout his time at school. To stay afloat, she said, he took on menial jobs.
She added that after failing to meet the CGPA requirement and being withdrawn, Felix rewrote JAMB and returned to the university to finish his degree.
Ninian wrote, ‘If you know him, you won’t catch cruise with him. This boy will fetch water, wash other students’ clothes, hawk peanuts, sleep in classrooms… cos he wasn’t able to pay his school fees the first time he got admission and couldn’t meet up with the CGPA… the school withdrew him… still he wrote JAMB and came back. Kudos to Felix fr.’
Others who knew him, including a former roommate, also came forward with similar accounts.
Felix later addressed the post that mocked him.
He said his delayed graduation was not due to a lack of effort.
He wrote, ‘You can laugh at the picture, but you don’t know the story behind it. I didn’t graduate with my set in the History Department in 2023 because I was lazy or unserious, but you chose to mock me. You’re laughing at someone who fell behind but refused to give up.’
The push for support gained momentum when X influencer Wisdom Obi-Dickson, known as Sir Dickson Wizarab, endorsed Ninian’s thread.
He made an initial donation of N100,000 and shared Felix’s account details.
Wizarab wrote, ‘Thank you, Mercy. This is someone we can get behind. I would like us to support him going forward. Today might just be his lucky day. This is his account number, and I’ve sent mine. Raise am.’
Donations came in rapidly. Ninian posted an update that Felix had received over N4 million.
Wizarab urged more people to contribute: ‘He has gotten over N4million. Keep raising it for him.’
By Thursday, the total had crossed N10m and eventually hit N14m.
Wizarab announced, ‘I just want to thank everyone for your kindness and trust. What began as a mockery turned out to be a miracle. Thank you for your continued support. Together we raised the sum of N14m for him. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.’
He said @Skolex5 would help Felix with financial guidance and investment.
Felix thanked donors and promised a formal appreciation video. ‘Thank you so much, sir. I’ll still make a proper video and say a proper thank you,’ he wrote.
He also urged the public to stop spreading false claims about him.
‘This is fake; I wasn’t attacked, and nobody came to my house. I’d appreciate it if you don’t use me or my situation to chase clout. Please, thank you. I wouldn’t want to misinform the public and well-meaning Nigerians. I’m safe, and nobody attacked me,’ he said.
The graduate said he created a sign-out poster as a tribute to his late mother, whom he promised: ‘to never fail, never to do illegal things and never to bring disgrace to.’
He added, ‘Now you reading this post, just be clean and never go against God’s wish. Be good to people. If you don’t see the result now, you will surely see the result later.’
Felix also asked that his story not be used to compete with others online.
‘Stop the comparison. I’m not in any competition with anyone. I don’t know him from anywhere, but looking at how long he’s been here, he’s a great man,’ Felix said.
He added, ‘I’m here cause God wants me to be here and not to compete on who is the highest or whom to choose over another. I’m here cause God wants me to be here and not to compete on who is the highest or whom to choose over another.’
What started as mockery over his appearance has now become a story of perseverance, with public donations giving the AE-FUNAI graduate a new financial footing after years of hawking, laundry work and other odd jobs to complete his education.