On October 6, 2024, the former Senegalese presidential candidate, Amadou Ba, caused astonishment on his X account (formerly Twitter) by publishing an unexpected message. He wished the Muslim community a good Maouloud, adding wishes for peace and prosperity. However, this publication quickly raised questions, because the Maouloud festival, also called Gamou in Senegal, had been celebrated more than twenty days earlier, on the night of September 15 to 16, 2024.
The message published by Amadou Ba, which remained online without modification or deletion, said precisely: “I wish a good Maouloud to the entire Muslim community. May this blessed day bring peace, prosperity and blessings to our country and humanity. May Allah hear our prayers. » This time difference has fueled much speculation among its subscribers and observers.
Three major hypotheses emerge to explain this blunder. The first is that the delay in publication is simply due to an error in the management of its accounts. Some point the finger at a community manager who could have scheduled the message for the right date, but who, due to a technical failure or a connection problem, saw its sending delayed. It is possible that a lack of connection at the time of the attempt to publish caused this situation, with the message not being published until the connection was re-established.
Another possibility, although considered unlikely, would be a hacking attempt. However, such a cybercriminal act seems unlikely, as hackers generally prefer to post harmful content, not greetings that match the communication style of the account in question.
Finally, the very management of Amadou Ba’s account is also called into question. The lack of rapid deletion of the erroneous publication, despite its clearly anachronistic nature, suggests that those responsible for the former candidate’s social networks are struggling to rectify this blunder.
At the same time, several other messages were posted on his account in a short interval, adding to the general perplexity and reinforcing the impression of a technical problem or poor management of the flow of publications.
The incident, although apparently insignificant, leaves a taste of strangeness, especially since the rigorous management of social networks is essential for a public figure of the stature of Amadou Ba.
