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[EXCLUSIVE] FACT-CHECK: Did supporters of Obi develop a mobile app for campaign?

Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu

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The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine and other print & social media have been rife with a story that supporters of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, have designed a mobile app for his campaign and other activities.

However, making clarifications during a radio program held, Tuesday, July 12, in an Enugu based radio station, Urban 94.5FM, the former Governor of Anambra State dissociated himself from a campaign application which he said was created by an unknown support group claiming to mobilize for him.

Obi said the Application “Peter Obi Nation” does not have his endorsement and is unknown to the Labour Party but promised to investigate the source of the application.

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A fact check by our correspondent through a source in Obi’s camp revealed that although the app is genuine, it did not get the approval of Peter Obi, the Labour Party or the Coalition For Peter Obi, an over 30-member coalition supporting Obi’s presidential ambition.

The impeccable source who didn’t want his name on print because he wasn’t authorized to make an official statement, traced the entire scenario to a lack of proper communication.

“There was a miscommunication. The app is legitimate but the developer of the app used to work for a certain presidential aspirant (names withheld) in another party. When he joined us in Labour Party, he tweeted that the app which was developed by his American company was going to be deployed to assist Peter Obi.

“He neither cleared it with us nor the coalition before he tweeted it. When people saw the tweet, they began to reach out to confirm its legitimacy or if it was the handiwork of the opposition”.

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“A message was sent out to our technical team to get in touch with the person, talk with him and get him to formally introduce the app to the leadership so that it can be given legitimacy.

“It turned out the guy (developer) was sick and being in the hospital, he was out of reach to answer his phone. When the story began to gain traction, and not being able to reach the developer for verification, the technical team went ahead to issue a statement that the app is fake”, the source said.

Promising to make further updates, he said, “We are managing the situation and we will make further updates soon. You know Obi’s candidacy has raised up many workers and you know the saying about too many hands being in the broth”.

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More details later…