Twitter Yank Off Osinbajo, Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Verification Badges

Twitter Yank Off Osinbajo, Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s Verification Badges

Twitter has begun removing verification tags from accounts of top politicians, government officials, journalists, and celebrities in Nigeria.

Checks on Friday morning on their official Twitter handles showed that President-elect Bola Tinubu, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Anambra Governor Peter Obi are among those deprived of their Twitter ‘legacy’ verified blue ticks in the shake-up.

President Muhammadu Buhari and the federal government’s accounts were spared.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was not spared in the tsunami at Twitter since American billionaire Elon Musk paid $44 billion to acquire the company.

Also affected by the shake-up are singers Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesman in Lagos, also lost his verification badge but tweeted, “Legacy verification gone. I no dey pay shishi.”

Many celebrities have also tweeted in that way.

Traditionally, the verification tag, a blue checkmark beside a user’s name, was used by Twitter to confirm that an account is authentic and belongs to the person or organisation it claims to represent. It has become a status symbol, especially for individuals, to boost their credibility on social media.

With over 40 million estimated users in Nigeria, Twitter has asked anyone who desires the blue tick to pay $8 (about N5,000) monthly or $84 (N52,900) annually to use the Twitter Blue service with added features.