With the elections less than seven days away, misinformation and disinformation about candidates, and political parties are currently being peddled over social and traditional media.
The aim of these disinformation peddlers varies, from discrediting their opponents to instilling fear into supporters and prospective supporters of their opponents.
Unfortunately, the effects of information disorder are not limited to political candidates or their supporters, they extend to regions, ethnic groups, and the country at large.
In recent times, Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of Aviation and spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council, has been a peddler of disinformation capable of causing civil unrest in the country.
In a Tweet on February 11, 2023, Fani-Kayode accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of secretly meeting serving military generals in Abuja to achieve an agenda.
His tweet which was interpreted as a “coup” allegation was widely criticized by many, prompting the Department of State Services (DSS) to call the former minister for questioning.
Given the rising wave of coups d’état in Africa, Fani-Kayode’s allegation is therefore not one to be ignored or taken lightly. Since 2017, there have been 15 coups in Africa, and only one in the rest of the world.
Lessons from Fani-Kayode
Fani-Kayode, in the controversial tweet, said “there are reports” that Atiku met with serving military generals. He added that “if true,” this is troubling and has implications. He goes ahead to ask inciteful questions as to whether the meeting was aimed at promoting a “coup d’etat” as well as “incite chaos and violence”.
Following his arrest by the DSS, Fani-Kayode would later issue an apology blaming his disinformation on information gotten from “a faceless media“.
Lesson I: Do not share content from faceless media
He further admits his fault for not verifying the information from relevant sources before going public.
Lesson II: Beware of your own bias
Cognitive bias is one of the biggest drivers of misinformation. We believe Fani-Kayode shared the story quickly, without verifying because it aligns with his bias against Atiku. You also have a bias, whether you admit it or not. Before you share information, ask yourself if your bias is not in the way.
Lesson III: It’s important to be informed, but more important to be correctly informed
The Fani-Kayode saga teaches how complacency in verifying information can aid the spread of misinformation. It’s important to be informed but more important to be sure of the information, its veracity, and the quality of its source.
Lesson IV: Sharing is not always caring
In the coming days leading to the elections, more unverified information would find its way to social media. We advise that every Nigerian express some care before sharing information. Verify every piece of information you share. Sharing is caring only when it’s true.
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