Nigeria's Hardships Feed Election Disinformation

Lagos, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Feb, 2023 ) :Disinformation has spiralled before Nigeria's presidential ballot on Saturday as the nation faces challenges ranging from threats from criminal gunmen to a stuttering economy and a Currency crisis.

Fears of electoral fraud have also fuelled false stories about candidates hoarding cash during an acute shortage of naira currency notes.

With some 36 million Nigerian social media users, these claims spread like wildfire around Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok before the February 25 vote.

"Renewed sophistication and organisation in the push of disinformation has been observed with efforts generally focused on glorifying or delegitimising political candidates and undermining the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)", the Centre for Democracy and Development said in a report.

Candidates have been campaigning for the support of more than 93 million registered voters who will choose a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The top contenders in the race are Bolu Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abukabar of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party's Peter Obi.