UberFacts, which has a global audience of 13.5 million, shared an article from the Peoples Gazette, detailing Tinubu’s criminal history with the US government, including his surrendering of $460,000 in ill-gotten gains from cocaine deals in 1993.
The article quickly became the number one Twitter trend, with Tinubu’s supporters unleashing vitriol on UberFacts’ Twitter account in an attempt to discredit the platform. High-ranking members of Tinubu’s campaign team have remained silent, while lower-level supporters have been attacking UberFacts on social media.
Bayo Onanuga, Festus Keyamo, Femi Fani-Kayode, and Dele Alake, who are all known for their staunch support of Tinubu, have so far kept quiet, likely strategising on how to counter UberFacts’ claims, just as they did when Chimamanda Adichie asked US President Joe Biden not to congratulate Tinubu on his election victory.
One APC loyalist, KemPatriot, tweeted, “@uberfacts is actually @uberlies. If you have ever relied on @UberFacts for facts, it’s time to unfollow them, they are a pay per post organisation, who post lies for the highest bidder.”
Another supporter of the president-elect alleged that UberFacts was a propaganda platform, tweeting, “We know the mandators and propagandists that convulse on mendacious innuendoes. They are free to bring same as evidence to court. Make I take Uber go check inauguration venue again self, @AdeHardemola quipped. “Awa ti se orire lati ana.”
Meanwhile, @Zdenowo claimed that UberFacts published Tinubu’s drug case to gain relevance online, tweeting, “They know their audience. They needed the attention of the headless mob to revive their already dead page. I didn’t even bother reading the story because I know their game plan. Yeye people.”
“Yeye people” means unserious people in the Yoruba language.
Despite the certified true copies of his money forfeiture already in the public domain, Tinubu insists he has no criminal record when he registered his presidential ambition with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last year. Throughout his campaign, Tinubu avoided talks regarding his haunting criminal past, and his supporters flayed anyone or groups who brought up the matter.
When contacted, Bayo Onanuga dismissed the matter, saying, “Nonsense. That is my reaction. They keep recycling this matter. Who is Uber! Who is Uber! Please don’t spoil my day.”
However, this revelation has brought Tinubu’s criminal past back into the spotlight, causing many to question whether he is fit to hold the position of president. It remains to be seen how this will affect his presidency and whether his supporters will be able to counter the backlash.
Tinubu is not the first Nigerian politician to face allegations of criminal activity. Several other politicians have also been accused of corruption and abuse of power. These allegations have led to widespread protests and call for the government to take action against these politicians.
Nigeria is known for its corruption, with Transparency International ranking the country as the 149th most corrupt country out of 180 countries in 2021. The country’s leaders have been criticised for their inability to tackle corruption, and many believe that corruption is endemic in Nigerian politics.