The governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) for Anambra State 2021 poll, Senator Andy Uba, has advised social media users and journalists in the country to refrain from disseminating fake news.
Uba, who was reacting to a publication by an online newspaper (Sahara Reporters), which faulted his West African School Certificate (WASSCE), said spreading fake news tarnish people’s image as well as impact negatively on society, while engaging on investigative journalism engender development.
The former Senator for Anambra South district, in a statement signed by the Director General, Senator Andy Uba Campaign Council (AUCC), Hon Paul chukwuma, alleged that his political opponents resurfaced the “fake news” (publication) which was published in 2017 in order to incite voters against him on the November 6, 2021 governorship election.
“Ordinarily, the Andy Uba Campaign Council (AUCC), would have chosen to remain silent and not dignify authors of the rehashed fake news with a response, but we are also conscious of the fact that false and fake news are specifically targetted at the public; voting public, in this instance, the good people of Anambra, who may be decieved and hence swayed by what is an outright fabrication.
“It is also curious that this allegation is being made to surface again. This is because Andy Uba has served twice as a senator. And on both instances, no such allegations came up. It is also interesting to note that Sen. Andy Uba has since been in court with the original author of the publication where the senator is rightly seeking a restitution of N24 billion in damages. The author, as we know, is currently on the run, dodging service of suit by court officials.
“We advise Sahara Reporters and other reporters of fake news, to see the need in redeeming the dying investigative journalism in Nigeria, and the general public to guard their minds against fake news. We are forced to again sound the alarm to the general public on the need to be exceptionally wary at this time, going into 2023, of what they read, hear, see and believe on internet. We live in the internet age where all manner of stories, untrue and baseless can be digitally altered to make it real,” it added.
