Gov Diri Denies Involvement In South African Lawmaker’s Viral Video

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has dismissed as a mere distraction, any involvement in a nude video of a South African female legislator, Zanele Sifuba.

According to Diri, despite the fact the deliberate intention to tarnish his image, he does not know and has had no contact nor relationship with the said woman at the centre of the scandal and has also not been to South Africa in the last 10 years.

Gov. Douye Diri in a statement issued yesterday by the director, New Media, Dr. Kola Oredipe, said clearly, political mischief makers had gone on an overdrive in their desperation to tarnish his reputation.

The statement said; “The post linking the governor to the allegation suddenly appeared on the Facebook page purportedly belonging to the woman after trending for more than a week.

“Our investigation however revealed that the said account is fake and was only created on Thursday, November 10, 2022. For a scandal that initially appeared on the South African media space on October 31 and was first linked to a ‘Nigerian youth,’ it is obvious those behind the new twist opened the parody account with the deliberate intention to tarnish the image of the Bayelsa governor.

“Sadly, even without any effort to confirm the ridiculous allegation against the governor of a state, a few Nigerian online platforms rushed to publish the fake news from the ‘Zanele Sifuba Facebook’ account without investigating its source. Let it be stated without any equivocation that Governor Diri does not know and has had no contact nor relationship with the said woman at the centre of the scandal. He has also not been to South Africa in the last 10 years.”

“While we have read about a purported attempt to collect R300,000 from her, the ‘young blackmailer’ is certainly not Governor Diri. Ask the question: why would a governor of an oil-rich state resort to blackmail for a mere R300,000 (about N8 million)?

“Let it also be stated that there are consequences for publishing falsehood. The anonymity of the social media should not serve as shield for calumny and character assassination, with grave legal implications. Unfortunately, those portals circulating this unverified post have fallen into the trap and its repercussions.”