Yesterday, Big Brother Naija season 4 winner, Mercy Eke, announced that she had finally gotten herself the luxury car she had been manifesting for years—a Lamborghini. A moment that should have been about celebrating hard work, perseverance, and success quickly turned into yet another tired debate: Who bought it for her? Which man is she sleeping with?

Are we for real, people?

While some congratulated her on achieving a dream she publicly set for herself, the internet erupted with baseless speculation, throwing around the same outdated accusations we’ve seen time and time again. Because, of course, in the minds of many, a woman—especially a Nigerian woman in the public eye—cannot possibly afford luxury on her own. She must have gotten it from a man.

Have we forgotten that Mercy has been calling herself Mercy ‘Lambo’ for years? Or did that fly over our heads?

Now, just because Sophia Egbueje, a socialite, allegedly claimed that singer Burna Boy promised her a Lamborghini truck, slept with her, and didn’t deliver, Mercy’s achievement is being likened to that, as if every woman driving a luxury car must have “earned” it through a man’s pockets. 

The mental gymnastics at play here are exhausting.

When do we stop? When do we start acknowledging that women, just like men, work hard, make money, and buy whatever they want with their own funds? 

Mercy Eke is not new to success. Since winning BBNaija, she has built businesses, bagged endorsement deals, and solidified her status as a brand. Yet, when she rewards herself for her success, it’s suddenly a man’s doing?

This narrative isn’t just harmful; it’s regressive. It undermines the efforts of women who hustle day in and day out to make a name for themselves. 

It also reinforces the notion that a woman’s success is always tied to male validation, male generosity, or male influence. And that is just plain wrong.

What’s even more frustrating is that this same energy is not directed at men. When a male celebrity splurges on a new car, we assume he earned it. 

We don’t ask which woman funded his lifestyle. We don’t discredit his accomplishments by suggesting he got there through “connections” in the bedroom. So why do we do it to women?

It’s 2025, and we should be past this. We should be at a point where a woman’s achievements are celebrated without scepticism. We should be uplifting women who have worked their way to the top, not dragging them down with baseless accusations rooted in misogyny.

Mercy Eke got herself a Lamborghini. End of story. Clap for her, or keep scrolling. But what we’re not going to do is keep reducing every successful woman’s wins to a man.