Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of plagiarism after the party’s manifesto for the 2019 elections claimed it will “keep America safe”.
According to a report by Premium Times of Nigeria, the line appears from manifesto’s plan for energy infrastructure.
In the manifesto, reports the publication, the APC says its priority is to “ensure a safe and secure America”.
A review of the whole manifesto by publication further revealed that more sections were ripped off from other websites and foreign institutions.
A google search of the first paragraph under the power’s proposal for power infrastructure revealed that the words were lifted in verbatim from either of a slew of website where they previously appeared, and without any attribution.
The paragraph reads: “Assertively pontificate long-term high-impact testing procedures wiProgressively synergize timely action items and business “outside the box” thinking. Distinctively foster best-of-breed markets before collaborative schemas. Authoritatively embrace tactical potentialities vis-a-vis low-risk high-yield architectures. Completely administrate robust testing procedures vis-a-vis dynamic testing procedures. Globally fabricate functional intellectual capital for B2B e-services.”
The possible places where the party might have lifted the lines included one American political action page and and an Ivoirien energy website.
APC spokesperson, while describing the document as embarrassing, feigned ignorance of when it was uploaded online. He said the party suspects that “some mischievous elements hacked into our website and uploaded the embarrassing files.”
It is also reported that the party’s logo for ‘NextLevel’ campaign in the document is a rip off of Winthrop University’s Rex Institute’s logo.
This is not the first cringeworthy moment for politicians and parties in Nigeria to be accused of plagiarism.
President Muhammadu Buhari apologised in 2016 after being caught using lines of a speech once delivered by former American President Barack Obama without attribution.
Last week, Segun Sowunmi, a spokesperson of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party presidential campaign organisation, also apologised for stealing a speech from President Donald Trump and claiming it as his original thought in a New Year message on Facebook.
Source: Premium Times
This is someone who can’t keep Daura safe, not to talk of Katsina State or Nigeria, but wishing to keep America safe. What an irony?