The Federal Government, yesterday, warned that increasing fake news pose a great danger to the successful conduct of February 25 presidential and national assembly elections.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who stated this at the 21st session of the President Muhammadu Buhari Scorecard Media Series in Abuja, said there is an increase in the dissemination of fake news, which he blamed on the opposition.
The Minister further stated that, With about three weeks to the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Feb. 25th, I can say, unequivocally, that there has been a worrisome and astronomical increase in the use of fake news and disinformation, making this a clear and present danger to the success of the elections.
This increase is undoubtedly the work of some destabilising agents; some of them linked to the opposition. They are churning out fake news and disinformation on an industrial scale. Their sole aim is to destabilize the electoral process and plunge the nation into crisis”.
Mohammed, however, vowed that the Government has several options to deal with the menace, saying, This government will not stand by and allow some miscreants with access to phones and data to destabilise the country.
I am therefore warning the purveyors of fake news and disinformation to desist. The Government is not, and cannot be, helpless”.
We are looking at the best options to ensure that the agents of destabilisation do not thwart the success of the elections with their unscrupulous resort to fake news and disinformation. A word is enough for the wise, he further stated.
