Cambridge Analytica, Election Manipulation: PDP Is Not Involved - Fani-Kayode

Former Media Director for Nigeria’s Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign on Sunday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has no links with Cambridge Analytica and was not involved in hacking information during 2015 election.

Femi Fani-Kayode, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Programme, Sunday Politics, said the PDP during the 2015 Presidential election did not involve in digging into personal information of its opponents as claimed.

“As far as the presidential campaign organisation is concerned, we have absolutely no links whatsoever with this company or with anybody that seeks to do anything that is illegal or criminal or to undermine any government or anyone that wants to run for an electoral position in this country,” he said.

Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based company in a wake of controversies has earlier been accused of obtaining data of Facebook users for election manipulation.

A whistle-blower, who is an ex-employee of Cambridge Analytica had claimed that the firm interfered in Nigeria’s 2015 elections by hiring hackers to dig information about President Muhammadu Buhari who was a candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

The whistle-blower in an interview with Guardian UK did not reveal the identity of the person who paid Cambridge Analytica for its services but described him as a Nigerian businessman who wanted to ensure former President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election.

Fani-Kayode who is a former Minister of Aviation said further that President Jonathan enjoyed a lot of goodwill from friends and therefore the name of the billionaire should rather be revealed than allegations thrown at the PDP.

“At no point was the PDP Campaign organisation mentioned or anybody that was the member of the PDP mentioned in this allegation. The report had no evidence to suggest the Jonathan was involved.

“I know former President Jonathan enjoyed a lot of goodwill in a number of places. What the report said was that a billionaire who was Jonathan’s friend and a couple of his agents met them and asked them to find information in an illegal manner.

“I think what should be done is to establish the name of this Nigerian billionaire and pose these questions to them and not to us,” he added.

Revealing how the PDP got information about Buhari’s medical and academic record that the PDP vehemently pointed out during the 2015 election campaigns, Fani-Kayode attribute this to his prowess as a historian and a professional who ask a lot of questions.

He clearly pointed out that the PDP is not in the business of hacking into people’s personal information data or employing others to do so.

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