Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has raised an alarm over fake social media accounts.
He announced this on Monday in Abuja, attributing the development to the cloning and opening of fake social media accounts, meant to spread fake news and hamper the growing popularity of the Obi/Baba-Ahmed ticket ahead of the 2023 elections.
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“Impostors had right from inception of the various social media platforms opened accounts in my Name before me. I wrote several complaints accordingly which were never attended to satisfactorily. This situation remained for nearly a decade, and I decided to rather be inactive on the platforms till my complaints were resolved.
“On 24 May 2022 I withdrew from Kaduna State Governorship Primaries under the PDP on grounds of divergent principles. From 25 Jun 2022 I began receiving indications of a possible calling to serve my nation again this time under Labour Party which culminated in my unveiling on 8 July 2022,” Baba-Ahmed said.
According to him, he was interviewed by BBC immediately after the event, only to find contents of the interview misrepresented by another social media page.
He said that a complaint was immediately made, and this page eventually removed the misrepresented news article, but only after much damage caused.
He said, “Ever since indications began to appear about my joining the Labour Party, more impostors hurriedly opened more accounts in my name, in most cases misspelled or in wrong format. Complaints about the fake accounts have been duly lodged with the relevant host platforms, while I wait and continue to suffer the consequences of mischievous communications done by others in my name.
“I must acknowledge and appreciate the diligence of well-meaning followers who were quick to observe and object to these accounts on basis of their good knowledge of me.”
Baba-Ahmed said some of these communications have been, and continue to be, premeditated and designed to set him against legitimate responsible religious organisations, and in some cases portray me negatively in relation to certain sentiments and core values of the society.
He said there is sufficient justification to conclude that these unholy acts against a real change agent at a politically sensitive period may be sponsored by opponents and enemies of progress to stain his image and distract him and “Mr. Peter Obi from the noble objective to rescue Nigeria”.
He said the development by the sponsors of the immoral illegitimate objectives of the misguided elements also have the tendency to compromise security.
While explaining the underlying politics of the development, he said, “The rising profile of His Excellency Peter Obi, and growing fortunes of Labour Party have become such a bitter pill for some Nigerian retrogressive status quo politicians to the extent of apparently committing huge amounts of money in creating and spreading falsehood.
“My preference to remain fair and objective in the matter of wild allegations against a fellow Nigerian, the likes of which I am beginning to witness, has attracted the wrath of the same elements. I offer no apologies for having been deemed suitable by a team of diligent and competent head hunters in the matter of 2023 Candidates, but I must observe that there are more decent and honourable ways for disagreeing with a simple choice. The choice is for HE Peter Obi, then and now.
“All interested parties are welcome to approach HE on how to be accommodated in rescuing Nigeria. I hereby dissociate my humble self from the creation, ownership, and operation of any such social media accounts. I equally declare that all exchanges and communications therefrom are without my knowledge or input in any way whatsoever.”
He therefore, urged the general public on and off line to disregard any and all exchanges and communications from the fake social media accounts.
