In a recent development, Twitter made the decision to remove the verification tag from the account of former Vice-President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. The verification tag, which was originally intended for government officials, was no longer present on Osinbajo’s account as of Monday.
This move by Twitter raises questions about the criteria and process for verifying accounts, especially those belonging to prominent figures in government. While Osinbajo’s verification tag was removed, the account of former president Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) still retained its verification status at the time of reporting.
The removal of Osinbajo’s verification tag highlights the evolving nature of social media platforms and their policies regarding account verification. It remains to be seen whether this decision by Twitter is part of a broader reassessment of verification procedures or if it is specific to Osinbajo’s account alone.