Nigerian professor who won history prize disowns Twitter page taunting Tinubu

Saheed Aderinto, the US-based Nigerian professor, who won the 2023 Dan David history prize, has disowned a Twitter account taunting Bola Tinubu, the president-elect.

Aderinto, a professor of History and African Diaspora Studies at Florida International University, became the first Nigerian to clinch the award considered the largest history prize in the world.

He was among the nine winners who received the prize of $300,000.

Tinubu, who recently won the presidential election, took to his verified Twitter page on Monday to congratulate Aderinto for making the “black race proud”.

“By this rare achievement, Prof Aderinto has not only further etched his name in academic excellence but has also made Nigeria, Africa and the entire black race proud, for which we must all remain thankful to him,” a statement by Tinubu reads in part.

“I congratulate Prof. Aderinto our worthy ambassador. I hope and pray that this award Spurs many of our young people to rise to the zenith in their careers.”

Warm congratulations to Prof. Saheed Aderinto, a prominent professor of History and African and African Diaspora Studies, Florida International University, for winning the prestigious Dan David $300,000 prize in History. pic.twitter.com/3fZTbeBMAV

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— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) March 13, 2023

Reacting to Tinubu’s congratulatory message, a Twitter page that identified itself as a parody of Aderinto appealed to the former Lagos governor to restore “our stolen mandate.”

Thanks anyway for the recognition, I hope you restore Our stolen Mandate. https://t.co/pM5yshraBn

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— Saheed Aderinto Parody (@ElluP01) March 13, 2023

“Thanks anyway for the recognition, I hope you restore our Our Stolen Mandate,” the tweet reads.

Thank you My President elect https://t.co/Uc4Oz5Cijy

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— Saheed Aderinto Parody (@ElluP01) March 12, 2023

The tweet by the unidentified user, who happens to be a supporter of Peter Obi, one of Tinubu’s rivals in the keenly contested presidential election, has raked in over 28,000 likes — giving the impression it was from the professor.

Aderinto, however, took to his Facebook page to state that he doesn’t have a Twitter handle.

The professor, while appreciating Tinubu for the congratulatory message, added that he didn’t make the Twitter remark.

“Another additional pressure ti wa! Thank you sir! PS: I don’t have a Twitter account. I see that a parody account has been created in my name,” he wrote.

“It has come to my attention that a fake Twitter account has been opened in my name. I don’t have a Twitter account. And didn’t make those statements.”

Earlier President Muhammadu Buhari commended Aderinto for being a “worthy ambassador of the country”.