Nigerian billionaire and chairman of Forte Oil, Femi Otedola, has debunked claims that he is planning to contest as Lagos State governor in 2019.
Mr Otedola, who recently joined social networking platform, Twitter, made this known in a tweet on his official handle, @realFemiOtedola. He was welcomed to Twitter by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, through the latter’s official handle.
There have been reports making the rounds that the oil mogul was preparing to contest for public office, with some online commentators specifically claiming that the businessman would run for Lagos governorship seat in the next election.
The development came shortly after a video showing the billionaire in a popular Lagos commercial shuttle, Molue, surfaced online.
The rumours became widespread after a tweet from a parody account on Twitter claimed that the Forte Oil boss will seek to slug it out with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos in the coming governorship race.
But Mr Otedola debunked the rumour in a tweet in the early hours of Friday.
“My attention has been drawn to a news piece where false information from a parody account was posted,” the tweet read.
“I am a man of the people and I will always be on the side of the masses but I am stating clearly via this medium that I am not running for office.”
The billionaire further commended Mr Ambode, saying he is doing a good job.
“The Governor of Lagos State is doing a commendable job and Lagosians should be proud of him,” he tweeted.
Earlier, the business mogul had warned tweeter users to be wary of parody accounts dishing out false information purportedly in his name.
Although the billionaire’s account is yet to be verified by twitter, he explains that the account would soon be verified by the social media site.
Mr Otedola is son to a former governor of Lagos State, Michael Otedola.
