A leading Fijian opposition lawmaker is delighting new social media followers with his wide-eyed discovery of Twitter, even as the nation is experiencing heightened political tensions.
National Federation Party president Pio Tikoduadua on Monday announced that while his Twitter account had been created a while ago, it had been run by his staff until now.
“This is my first week of actively using it,” he wrote. “I have discovered what a ‘retweet’ and a ‘quote tweet’ is. I hope to engage with you more! God Bless Fiji.”
Since then, Tikoduadua has been documenting his parliamentary engagements, as well as his faltering attempts to use the platform, bringing joy to his followers.
Tikoduadua’s posts, which include questions to followers about how notifications work on Twitter, as well as courteous replies to criticism, have offered respite from the political tension, as well as considerable amusement.
Ahead of the Rugby sevens Olympic quarter-final on Tuesday which saw Fiji trounce Australia 19-0, he wrote: “Bula friends, I hope that your evening is going well as we all wait for Fiji’s game. Today I learn that ‘FFS’ does not mean ‘Fiji First Supporters.’ God Bless Fiji.”
Fiji First is the name of the nation’s ruling party.
In another post, Tikoduadua responded to a follower whose Twitter handle is KitKat who wrote that “You may be new here sir, but tweeting like a real OG!!!!!”
“Bula KitKat,” came the lawmaker’s formal reply. “Please explain what ‘OG’ means. I’m assuming it means ‘Old Girl?’”
When user Mama Dragon explained it meant “Original Gangster” and was a compliment, he replied: “Bula Mama, thank you for that important clarification. These terms are confusing!”
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