Veteran Nigerian journalist, Sam Omatseye, has been heavily criticized for sharing an old photo of President Muhammadu Buhari and President-Elect Bola Tinubu together, claiming it was taken on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
The photo was actually taken in 2019 when Buhari broke Ramadan fast with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Netizens were quick to discover the truth and slammed Omatseye for misinformation and deceit.
Many took to social media to express their disappointment and called out the veteran journalist for spreading fake news.
General_Oluchi wrote, “Look at Sam Omatseye, the funeral director and gatekeeper of journalism putting his best foot forward—with lies! Yes, Sam is an undertaker by night too!”
@Oserume1 wrote, “Sam Omatseye you are not wise… Old shameless lying clown.”
@Allezamani wrote, “This is SAM OMATSEYE a supposed veteran journalist tweeting an old picture of 2019 as a current photo speaks of Tinubu and Buhari as April 12th 2023, is this how APC plan to rule Nigeria again? How did any sane person support any candidate from this party as their President?”
Omatseye, a columnist at The Nation, had previously courted controversy in 2022 when he wrote an article titled ‘Obi-tuary’ where he alleged that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, was riding on the Biafran agenda to push himself as a southern candidate.
Fake news and misinformation have become major issues in Nigeria in recent years, with many individuals and organizations spreading false information for political gain or to create chaos.
The Nigerian government has taken steps to combat the spread of fake news, including the creation of a National Council on Information and a new law criminalizing the spread of false information.
The incident involving Omatseye highlights the need for journalists and media organizations to adhere to strict ethical standards and fact-check their stories before publishing them.
The spread of fake news can have serious consequences, including inciting violence, damaging reputations, and undermining democracy.
It is important for media consumers to be vigilant and critical of the information they consume, especially on social media, and to verify.
This article was updated 3 months ago
