A group known as the Data Analytics Group For Asiwaju (DAGFA) says it would deploy technology to tackle hate speech and fake news as the 2023 general elections approach.
National Coordinator of DAGFA, Niyi Coker, in briefing on Friday, said the group was a team that uses data gathering tools like Social Media Data Analytics (SMDA) to help highlight and pinpoint where to focus its energy on when it comes to issues like hate speech, fake news and unconfirmed information during the upcoming election.
Coker said, “This will work as our defense on social media to increase APCs chance of winning, while also giving us key insights as to where in the nation we can plan activities to sensitize and mobilize as a form of building a support base of at least 10,000 people in each state.
“The Social Media Data Analytics (SMDA) is a breakdown of common and relevant interests which will cover a wide geographic area .
“Therefore, SMDA will identify common interests and preferences of a specific area of people and allow the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council tailor communication and campaign strategies in a way that targets the electorates to produce desired results i.e to increase awareness for more votes.
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“SMDA will also be for strengthening perception, image as well as reputation management.
“The use of SMDA will also keep the electorates strategically engaged allowing the PCC to keep track of comments that can be used to strengthen the campaign; eg centering campaigns around common and specific issues that the audience may have, this in turn will encourage building trust with the electorates, while reassuring them that their concerns are being heard.
“This press conference is to let the press know that we shall be relating with you intimately on our activities and calendar of engagements as we will work towards ensuring the Tinubu/Shettima ticket wins the election next year on the Platform of the APC.”
He said as a support group, their aim is to promote the candidacy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emerge the next democratically elected President of the country.
The Northern Coordinator of the group, Maidugu Ibrahim, said they would be among the first points of data gathering to support the campaign council.
“On the issue of fake news and hate speech and you know negative information going out there. We have devised a means, as we speak, we are developing a software that will be able to counter such, as soon as it is released. So the overall objective, one of the cores of this group is to ensure that information that comes in and goes out is purified, and also help the layman on the street understand some of the technicalities in the manifestos, to simplify it and make it basic and also project certain things they may not be able to understand. Just put it in layman terms.
“It is basically data. To understand the pulse of the ordinary man on the street. What are his experiences? What he wants to be changed. What he wants the government to do and to relay this information to the campaign council and overall to the presidential candidate. This is an area that people are concerned about and this is an area where the people on the streets want you to address,” he said.