Tinubu, Atiku, Obi lose Twitter verification badges

Politicians, including the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and other candidates in the February 25 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, have all lost their Twitter ‘legacy’ verified blue ticks.

Checks on the handles of the trio show that the Labour Party candidate and his counterparts in the All Progressives Congress, and the Peoples Democratic Party, in the presidential election, have no blue tick on their Twitter accounts.

This is as a result of the mass removal of Twitter ‘legacy’ verified blue ticks by the microblogging platform on Thursday.

The PUNCH reports that Twitter on Thursday said goodbye to its ‘legacy’ blue ticks following Elon Musk‘s controversial decision to switch up the platform’s verification system.

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The development affected several individuals including journalists, celebrities and other notable individuals as Twitter insisted on a $8 monthly payment to subscribe to its ‘Twitter Blue’ if account holders must retain their verification badge.

The fee is the same for those who might want to apply newly for the verification.

Numerous checkmarks disappeared from Twitter accounts for the users who were reluctant to pay $8 a month for the traditional blue badge.

‘Legacy’ blue ticks were initially given to verified accounts belonging to people of public interest including celebrities, politicians and journalists.

But following Musk’s takeover, only those subscribed to Twitter Blue can keep a blue tick, while businesses must now pay for a gold tick.

This decision came as part of Musk’s efforts to get rid of the so-called “lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark.”

Earlier in the month, Musk had tweeted that “Final date for removing legacy blue checks is April 20.”

April 1 was the initial date to kickstart the removal of ‘legacy’ ticks, but many remained after this date giving rise to confusion.

Ten days later, Musk then announced that the ‘final date’ for removing these ticks would be April 20.

Also affected are Nigerian singers, Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid. Their verification badges have been removed on the microblogging platform.

Lagos State police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin was also caught in the web as he jokingly said he was not paying any dime.

“Legacy verification gone.  I no dey pay shishi,” he tweeted on Thursday.

Criticisms continue to trail Twitter’s decision on social media with some saying the essence of the verification was being defeated, as anyone could impersonate another just by subscribing to the ‘Twitter Blue.’