- Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s call for voters to support Monday Okpebholo was published on the official Presidency platform
- Subsequently, the Nigerian Presidency was criticised for using its official X account, formerly Twitter to campaign for the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate
- TheRadar compiled the reactions of people below
The Nigerian Presidency has drawn criticism for utilising its official X account, ‘Presidency Nigeria’ with the username @NGRPresident, to campaign for Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, ahead of the Edo State governorship election.
The X handle published Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s call for Edo state voters to support Okpebholo in the September 21 gubernatorial election on Saturday, September 14.
Shettima calls voters to support APC, Monday Okpebholo
According to the statement, Shettima emphasised that the APC candidate is the best-qualified person to take on the state’s leadership position. The statement read in part, “ Edo needs a man who feels the pulse of his people, knows where it hurts, and has a story to tell in terms of where he is coming from.
“Therefore, in Senator Monday Okpebholo and his Deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, we have two gentlemen who will walk the talk.”
Shettima's statement also suggested that an APC victory could lead to greater federal revenue allocation for the state.
Shettima’s call on official X handle breaches Electoral act
According to legal experts, the campaign post appears to conflict with Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act of 2022, which bans the use of state resources for the advantage of any political party or candidate.
The Electoral Act states that “State apparatus including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.”
This implies that the vice president’s endorsement from the presidency’s official account violates this provision.
The publication of the controversial content has provoked strong reactions from Nigerians, who have condemned the use of official state communication channels for partisan campaigns and violation of electoral fairness.
TheRadar compiled reactions of the people below:
Nigerians react to campaign for APC, Okpebholo on official platform
“Sacrilege! Sacrilege!! Sacrilege!!! This is the official account of the Nigeria Presidency, how did it turn into an APC campaign handle? The same way Presidential Jets were used for campaigns during elections. APC is a total disgrace to this Nation,” Chima Echefule stated.
“Is this not supposed to be an official handle of the highest office, the presidency? The APC has destroyed every institution in Nigeria. It's such a shame,” Queen Bee added.
“see full state capture. using the official president handle to do this nonsense. nothing is sacred to you people chai,” Jesuwumi reacted.
“This is very unprofessional, this shouldn't be done on this handle,” Olumide Adesina commented.
“Ethics in the mud,” Daniel MO condemned.
“Like. Stupid gutter behavior,” Uncle Shilz criticised.
“Shettima is a huge collateral damage to mankind,” Alhaji Hamza shared.
#EdoDecides: Meet the top candidates for 2024 governorship election
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that 17 political parties are presenting candidates for the Edo 2024 gubernatorial election.
TheRadar compiled the top candidates vying for the governorship position in the Edo 2024 gubernatorial election slated for September 21, 2024.