NEWS
EU Report Exposes Dubious Social Media Accounts In 2023 Election
According to the recent report by the European Union, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People’s Party, and Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress were identified as the top four presidential candidates in the 2023 election.
The report raised concerns about the presence of suspicious followers on social media platforms, who were found to be utilizing these accounts to generate a false perception of support for these candidates.
According to the report, a sample of Twitter accounts belonging to political candidates displayed varying proportions of dubious or suspicious followers.
Among the candidates, Mr. Rabiu Kwankwaso had the highest percentage of dubious followers, with 80% of the sampled accounts falling into this category. Mr. Atiku Abubakar had 60% suspicious followers, while Mr. Peter Obi had 23% dubious followers. In contrast, Mr. Bola Tinubu had the lowest percentage of such followers, with only 22% considered dubious.
The report further highlighted a consistent growth in the number of followers for the key presidential candidates over a three-month period from January to March.
“There was a steady increase in the number of followers of key presidential candidates over a period of three months (January – March). During the week of the presidential election, there was a sharp increase in the number of followers for all four candidates,” the final EU observers’ report on Nigeria’s 2023 presidential poll stated.
It added, “It should be noted that a relatively large number of these new followers are suspicious accounts, used to create a false impression of support.
The EU report highlighted that identifying suspicious accounts on social media platforms, particularly Twitter, was not always straightforward, as many of these accounts appeared to have authentic-looking profile names and profile pictures.
Some accounts even used snippets of random photos found online, making it challenging to detect them through standard methods like Google’s reverse image search.
However, the report emphasized that upon conducting more in-depth investigations, problematic aspects of these accounts were uncovered.
These included a significant level of anonymity or high engagement and endorsement of specific individuals, topics, and hashtags
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has launched a 5-day Hands-on Oracle Primavera P6 Training in Rivers State, targeting 50 participants.
The training, being executed by Mathnebi Nig. Ltd, commenced today, March 16th and will run until Friday, March 20th.
The intensive hands-on program aims to equip participants with practical skills in project management using Oracle Primavera P6, enhancing their capabilities in the energy and construction sectors.
The NCDMB’s sponsorship of the training underscores its commitment to boosting local capacity and driving Nigeria’s economic growth through skills development.
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The training is expected to benefit participants and contribute to the development of Nigeria’s project management landscape.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sworn in Mr. Taiwo Oyedele as Nigeria’s new Minister of State for Finance at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
The swearing-in ceremony took place shortly after the Senate confirmed Oyedele’s nomination last Wednesday.
Oyedele, 50, from Ikaram, Akoko in Ondo State, brings over two decades of experience in fiscal policy and tax administration.
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He previously chaired the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system, introducing zero income tax for Nigerians earning N800,000 or less and exemptions for small businesses with turnovers below N50 million.
During his Senate screening, Oyedele described his appointment as “a call to serve at a critical time when Nigeria faces significant fiscal challenges and remarkable opportunities.”
He replaces Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, who has been redeployed to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
Oyedele also spent 22 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, held executive programs at top global institutions including the London School of Economics and Harvard Kennedy School, and currently serves as a professor at Babcock University.
The minister’s appointment signals a continued focus on implementing the Tax Reform Acts, which took effect on January 1, 2026, and aim to simplify Nigeria’s tax system while boosting economic growth.
Passengers were thrown into panic on Monday after a train operating along the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor derailed, leaving several passengers injured and disrupting services on the busy route.
The train, which was travelling from Kaduna to Abuja, reportedly failed to reach its destination as scheduled after the incident occurred along the rail line linking both cities.
According to passengers on board, the incident happened suddenly, sending shock through the coaches as the train came to an abrupt halt.
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Some passengers said they heard a loud bang before the train jolted violently, throwing several occupants off their seats.
Eyewitnesses said the sudden impact caused confusion inside the train compartments, with some passengers sustaining cuts and bruises after hitting seats and metal fittings.
Initial reports suggested that the Abuja-bound train might have collided with another train along the corridor, forcing rail operations to pause temporarily while authorities assessed the situation.
A source within the Nigerian Railway Corporation confirmed the incident but declined to give full details, noting that he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.
One of the passengers, Sada Malumfashi, shared his experience on social media shortly after leaving the train.
He described the moment as frightening, stating that the loud sound and sudden stop caused many passengers to be flung from their seats.
He said the train remained stationary for about 30 minutes before the journey resumed slowly toward Kubwa, located on the outskirts of Abuja.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Callistus Unyimadu, confirmed the development and said an official statement would be issued.
Authorities are yet to disclose the exact cause of the derailment or the full extent of injuries as investigations continue.
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