On 14 January 2021, Uganda went to the polls after an election campaign marred by violence. President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner, extending his 35-year rule.
A screenshot of a tweet shared on Facebook claims Ugandan broadcaster NBS Television “apologised for announcing fake results”.
It reads: “BREAKING NEWS We deeply apologize for announcing fake results to the public due to intimidations of our lives and our dear families by DICTATOR Museveni.”
Data from CrowdTangle, Facebook’s public insights tool, shows that the screenshot has been shared multiple times, prompting hundreds of reactions.
NBS is a mainstream TV station in Uganda. Did the broadcaster apologise for announcing “fake” poll results? We checked.
Fake tweet!
Africa Check went through NBS Television’s Twitter timeline but could not find the tweet in the screenshot. But we did find a tweet dismissing it.
Disregard this screenshot circulating on social media and WhatsApp!
— NBS Television (@nbstv) January 15, 2021
It is FAKE NEWS / FAKE TWEET! #FightFakeNews#NBSUpdates #UgVotes2021 pic.twitter.com/uPRfkCFC8E
It shows the screenshot, stamped “FAKE TWEET” in red, and reads: “Disregard this screenshot circulating on social media and WhatsApp! It is FAKE NEWS / FAKE TWEET! #FightFakeNews #NBSUpdates #UgVotes2021.”
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