Funmi Ogundare
The website of Nigerian online newspaper, Politico.ng, has reportedly been hacked amid growing reactions to its recent projection of the likely outcome of the 2027 general election.
The publisher of the online newspaper, Lai Omotola, who disclosed this recently in Lagos, attributed the development to what he described as the activities of ‘enemies of Nigeria’.
He expressed concern that the hacking might be connected to the newspaper’s ongoing projection of the likely outcome of the 2027 presidential election, which is scheduled to commence in January across the country.
The publication’s Political Intelligence Group (PIG) had, last week, projected that President Bola Tinubu would emerge victorious in 20 states, while former vice-president and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was projected to win nine states.
The projection also placed Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in contention for eight states.
The forecast has continued to generate reactions across social media platforms and political circles, attracting both commendation and criticism.
The publisher stated: “While the projection received support from a section of social media users and political followers, some opposition supporters dismissed it as allegedly sponsored by the ruling party to influence public perception ahead of the 2027 presidential election.”
He added that a spokesman for one of the leading contenders, Paul Ibe, also rejected the projection, describing it as lacking credibility and urging Nigerians not to rely on its outcome.
However, Omotola said the publication would continue with its monthly projection until the end of the year, stressing that the forecast was a running assessment and that its outcome could change as political developments unfold.
He also promised that efforts were ongoing to restore the Politico.ng website and return it to full operation as soon as possible
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