Gist
Award-Winning Professor Speaks On Embarrassing Tinubu Over ‘Stolen Mandate’ After Congratulatory Message
An award-winning professor of History and African Diaspora Studies, Saheed Aderinto, who won the 2023 Dan David Prize, has distanced himself from the Twitter account that appeared to have embarrassed President-elect, Bola Tinubu, after a congratulatory message.
Aderinto, who only operates a Facebook account, on Monday disassociated himself, saying that he had nothing to do with the Twitter account @AderintoO.
The Twitter handle which appears to be a parody account had sparked reactions after replying to Tinubu’s congratulatory message by saying he hoped the President-elect restores “stolen mandate”.
“Thanks anyway for the recognition, I hope you restore Our stolen Mandate,” the parody account tweeted on Monday
On Sunday, a tweet from the parody account called Obi “My President elect”, thanking him for congratulating Aderinto on the award.
Reacting to the development, Aderinto on Monday night said he did not make the statements.
“It has come to my attention that a fake Twitter account has been opened in my name. I don’t have a Twitter account. And didn’t make those statements,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the selection committee for the Dan David Prize praised Aderinto’s work “for situating African history at the cutting edge of diverse literatures in the history of sexuality, nonhumans, and violence, noting that it is exceptional to see a single person leading scholarship in all of these fields.”
