Duke said this at a roundtable with editors that was organised by the Front Fort Media Initiative and the MacArthur Foundation, held recently in Lagos.
Former governor of Cross Rivers State Donald Duke has lashed out at the All Progressives Congress (APC) over a deceptive use of his image claiming it belongs to Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.
Duke said the photo was used in Tinubu documentaries.
He said this at a roundtable with editors that was organised by the Front Fort Media Initiative and the MacArthur Foundation, held recently in Lagos.
He said the APC and its campaign team allegedly used his photograph as a 12-year-old as that of Tinubu in a documentary titled ‘the nation builder’.
The documentary referenced by Duke was televised by TVC, and also uploaded on various YouTube channels to narrate Tinubu 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.”
“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).”
The APC nor its presidential campaign council are yet to admit or refute the allegations by the former Cross Rivers State governor.
Duke said it was disappointing that the level of debate in politics has dropped so low that people vying for political offices are not discussing issues that directly affect the people they want to govern.
He faulted the discussions around the subjects that attack the individuals contesting an election in the 2023 elections.