By Bukola Olasanmi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, has been accused of using the image of former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, in his documentaries, thereby opening a new case of identity theft against Tinubu.
The former Cross River Governor made this allegation during a roundtable with editors that was organised by the Front Fort Media Initiative and the MacArthur Foundation, held recently in Lagos.
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He accused the APC presidential campaign team of using his picture as a 12-year-old and passed same as himself in a documentary titled ‘the nation builder’.
The said documentary was televised by the Tinubu-owned Television Continental (TVC) and also uploaded on various YouTube channels to narrate Tinubu’s life history; childhood, education, political journey, and achievements in public and private sector.
“My disagreement is that my photograph as a 12-year-old is used as his photograph. So they couldn’t find his photograph as a young person and they had to take my own photograph,” Duke said.
“The picture of the boy used as Bola Tinubu in all the documentaries is me. I am the boy in the picture, not Tinubu as they claimed in their documentaries.
“That photo was taken when I was 12 years old during my school years at the Federal Government College Sokoto, in Sokoto State.”
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“I don’t know if I can get justice on this but I feel pained that a 12-year-old is being used for political (reasons).”
Duke expressed disappointment that the APC candidate or his team could descend so low to have resorted to what could constitute an identity theft.
The former Governor said he may be considering taking legal actions against the APC candidate but does not know if he would get justice.
