Twitter Wahala: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi stripped of Twitter verification badges

Image: Nollywood Times

The ongoing Twitter verification saga has come to the doorsteps of Nigerian politicians. As of yesterday, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and other candidates in the February 25 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, have all been stripped of their Twitter ‘legacy’ verified blue ticks.

Checks on the handles of the trio show that all the party's candidates have no blue tick on their Twitter accounts. They are all victims of the massive purge of Twitter ‘legacy’ verified blue ticks by the microblogging platform on Thursday.

The blue tick purge affected several individuals, including journalists, celebrities and other notable individuals, as Twitter insisted on an $8 monthly payment to subscribe to its ‘Twitter Blue’ if account holders must retain their verification badge.

The fee is the same for those who might want to apply newly for the verification.

Numerous checkmarks disappeared from Twitter accounts for the users who were reluctant to pay $8 a month for the traditional blue badge.

‘Legacy’ blue ticks were initially given to verified accounts belonging to people of public interest, including celebrities, politicians and journalists.

But following Musk’s takeover, only those subscribed to Twitter Blue can keep a blue tick, while businesses must now pay for a gold tick.

This decision came as part of Musk’s efforts to get rid of the so-called “lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark.”

Earlier in the month, Musk had tweeted that “Final date for removing legacy blue checks is April 20.”

April 1 was the initial date to kickstart the removal of ‘legacy’ ticks, but many remained after this date giving rise to confusion.

Ten days later, Musk then announced that the ‘final date’ for removing these ticks would be April 20.

Also affected are Nigerian singers, Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid. Their verification badges have been removed on the microblogging platform.

Lagos State police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin was also caught in the web as he jokingly said he was not paying any dime.

“Legacy verification gone.  I no dey pay shishi,” he tweeted on Thursday.

Criticisms continue to trail Twitter’s decision on social media with some saying the essence of the verification was being defeated, as anyone could impersonate another just by subscribing to the ‘Twitter Blue.’

His tweet:

Legacy verification gone 🙄

I no dey pay shishi 😜

— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) April 20, 2023

Source: punchng.com

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#Blue Tick
#Tinubu
#Atiku
#Obi