…By Dorcas Funmi for TDPel Media.
The verification badge of Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was removed from his Twitter account on Tuesday, 30th May, 2023.
This action follows the recent removal of the verification badge of the immediate past Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday.
President Tinubu’s Verification Badge Removed:
Upon the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as the President and Kashim Shettima as the Vice President, updates were made to their social media profiles.
However, a check by this platform revealed that Tinubu’s verification badge has been taken down, while the account of former President Muhammadu Buhari remains verified.
Tinubu’s Clarification on Fuel Subsidy Removal:
In the midst of concerns over the removal of fuel subsidy and the subsequent long queues at petrol stations across the country, President Bola Tinubu clarified that the announcement was neither a new development nor an action taken by his administration.
The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Media Centre, in a statement on Tuesday, emphasized that the end of fuel subsidy would not take immediate effect.
Status Quo Explained:
According to the statement, the removal of fuel subsidy was not a new occurrence, as the previous administration had planned and approved a budget for fuel subsidy that was intended to last only for the first half of the year.
The panic-buying witnessed following the announcement was deemed unnecessary.
Conclusion:
The removal of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Twitter verification badge on the same day as the previous Vice-President’s badge raises questions about the verification process on the micro-blogging platform.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu’s clarification on the fuel subsidy removal aims to address the public’s concerns and emphasize that the situation is not a sudden change but a continuation of existing policies.