A popular Twitter influencer said that masquerades chased supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, at a campaign rally in Ondo.
The information is false. The video was not taken at a campaign rally; neither was it shot at Ondo.
Full story
Preparations are in full swing as the 2023 Presidential election draws nearer. Most political parties with candidates for the country’s top seat have commenced campaigns. However, for the All Progressive Congress (APC), the official campaign is yet to begin due to internal issues in the party.
Recently, a video went viral on Twitter. The footage shows masquerades chasing people while some are beaten as they scurry.
Twitter influencer, Demagogue PhD said that the video was taken at an APC campaign in Ondo on October 13, 2022. He also said the masquerades used the moment to show their grievance against the ruling party.
He wrote, “Yesterday, APC in Ondo went for a rally for Tinubu in the state. But the gods were so angry that they came to whip them home.”
The tweet has garnered more than 4,896 reactions, 2,738 retweets, and 945 comments as of press time. It has also gained more than 188,000 views.
However, DUBAWA observed that the gathering had no evidence to prove it was a political campaign rally.
Verification
After scanning the comments, DUBAWA found nobody who could attest to the incident in Ondo.
Findings made by DUBAWA revealed that most masquerades in Ondo use palm fronds in reference to Ogun (god of iron), their ancestral deity.
However, there was no sign of the masquerades wearing palm fronds or using them throughout the 29-seconds video.
A manual keyword search of masquerades chasing people at gatherings, however, led DUBAWA to a report on September 18 about masquerades chasing people away from churches in the Shikal community, Langtang South Local Government Area, Plateau State.
The report also quoted the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirming the incident through the DPO of the area. He disclosed that the situation was under control after masquerades went to a Church and disrupted their activities.
Conclusion
The video was not from an APC campaign rally, neither was it from Ondo State. It was a video from Plateau State where masquerades disrupted church activities. Therefore, it is false.
