Ekiti State Government has raised an alarm over plot by some opposition members to carry out another coordinated social media attack on the State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode stated that 150 persons across various social media platforms have been paid to carry out the attack beginning from next week ahead of the Governorship primaries scheduled for October 27th.
The statement alleges that sponsors of this grand plot, are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bent on discrediting the Governor and some key figures within the party.
Read the full statement;
“This is to alert the general public that another grand plot, by some opposition elements, of a coordinated social media attack against the person of the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, ahead of the Governorship primaries scheduled for October 27th, have been uncovered.
“It was gathered that over 150 persons across various social media platforms, including notable influencers at the national level, have been paid to carry out the attack beginning from next week.
“The sponsors of this grand plot, sadly, are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who are bent on heating up the polity in a bid to make a cheap political point.
“Part of their grand design, as uncovered, is to discredit the Governor, as well as some key figures within the party and the Government, through spurious and malicious allegations, including forged documents and AI generated graphics.
“Those behind this planned social media onslaught are the same people who clandestinely launched a social media attack against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week, using one of the federal roads in the state- the Itawure-Aramoko-Igede road as an alibi.
“Whereas the poorly coordinated social media attack on the President failed woefully because the vast majority of Ekiti people, and indeed the general public, rejected the narratives.
“These characters went back to the drawing board and came up with another action plan, which include inducing 150 social media attackers with huge sum of money (in foreign currency) to carry out the nefarious act of character assassination and cheap blackmail through online trending of forged documents.
“The Government has chosen to alert the public on this grand plot in order to avert likely breach of the peace, recourse to self-help and unnecessary tension in the polity which are the main intention of the masterminds of this ignoble plot.
“Unlike previous sponsored media attacks on the Governor and the State Government that were treated with kids glove, this new plot would be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Hence, the general public, security agencies and all relevant institutions are hereby put on notice.
“All political gladiators, especially those aspiring to public offices are advised to maintain some decorum and play according to set rules and regulations as we approach the electoral season.
“The Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji administration welcomes constructive criticism and is ready to provide sincere answers to genuine enquiries about governance and the management of our commonwealth.
“All Aspirants are also urged to make their campaigns and public engagements issue-based, and stay clear of any sponsored social media attack on the person of the Governor as well as sponsored violent attacks on any citizen of the State.
“As Secretary to the Committee for the Creation of Ekiti State, Governor Oyebanji understands the desires and aspirations of the founding fathers for a united people working in one accord to ensure peace, progress and development in Ekiti. This has been the guiding principles of his administration.”
