Ronaldo and Justin Bieber Floors others celebrities on twitter

Facebook, the  largest social network, has over one billion active users, about half of the world’s online population but it’s far from being a leader on Twitter.

With the bio, “Giving people the power to share and make the world open and connected,” @facebook, Facebook’s account on Twitter,  created on March 27, 2007, has 7,009,753 followers.

According to twittercounter.com, a third party application for Twitter, @facebook  ranks 75th in terms of its followership on the micro-blogging site.

Also, Facebook ranks far behind YouTube, the video-sharing site powered by Google and Instagram, an online photo-sharing cum social service.

YouTube, which occupies the seventh spot, and tweeting with the handle @YouTube since November 13, 2007,  has 25,944,638 followers.

@instagram has 18,082,748 and ranks 12th on the counter. Also, Twitter’s presence on its own social platform is 15th on the rating with 17,578,123 followers.

Canadian pop musician, actor and singer-songwriter, Justin Bieber, with the handle, @justinbieber, is the most followed  Twitter user with 37,178,393 followers. American singer, Lady Gaga, who uses @ladygaga is on the number two spot with 35,881,423 followers.

The other six musicians occupying  the top 10 positions are Katy Perry, @katyperry with 34,626,734 followers; Barbadian artiste, Robyn Rihanna, @rihanna with 29,099,445; Taylor Swift, @taylorswift13,  with 25,887,953 followers; Britney Spears, @britneyspears,  with 25,439,067 followers; Isabel Shakira, @shakira, with 20,292,896; and Justin Timberlake, @jtimberlake with 18,513,521 followers.

American President, Barack Obama, leads the pack in the comity of world political leaders. Obama is  the fourth most followed on the social network, while the account of the late President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who used the handle @chavezcandanga,  still has 4, 235,435 followers. The account last tweeted on February 18, 15 days before his death.

Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the number one most followed sportsman and footballer on Twitter and occupies the 16th position. His @Cristiano account boasts 17,297,106 followers. Ranking next to Ronaldo’s team mate and Brazilian attacking midfielder, Ricardo Leite, popularly known as Kaka. His @KAKA handle, the 20th most followed, which was opened on July 22,2009, has over the years gained 14,920,928.

The English version of the Twitter handle of Spanish football giant, FC Barcelona, is the leading football club in the world on the social network, with 8,582, 562 followers and on the 59th position, placing it above its close La Liga rival, Real Madrid, which is on the 77th spot,  with 7,296,796 followers.

Cable News Network’s @cnnbrk,  which posts breaking news from around the world,  towers high above all other international news organisations as it ranks 32nd with 11,052,581 -  leaving behind the New York Times @nytimes,  with 8,047,052 on the 65th spot. Also, @espn, the handle of  American sports TV cable network station, ESPN, is on the 93rd position with 6, 297, 193 followers; and BBC Breaking News’ handle, @BBCBreaking, with 5, 515,231 followers on the 117th position.

America’s richest man and Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, maintains the 38th position on the Twitter space,  with 10,669,386 followers. His bio reads, “Sharing things I’m learning through my foundation work and other interests.”  Over 6,696,791 people also subscribe to the tweets of The Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people of China, who interestingly follows nobody on the social network,  making him seat comfortably on the 86th spot.

Though he is not on the list of 1,000 top Twitter users based on followership base, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder and Senior Pastor, Christ Embassy, is not only the Nigeria public figure cum celebrity with the highest followers but the only Nigerian who has hit the one million mark on the social network.

Oyakhilome joined Twitter on June 6, 2010. With 1,235 tweets,  which major on the Christendom, he has gained 1,154,357 followers.  Oyakhilome is followed from afar by Ayodeji Balogun, popularly called Wizkid,  whose Twitter handle, @wizkidayo with 539,766 followers,  comes second in the country.

D’Banj’s @iamdbanj has (513,695); Don Jazzy’s @DONJAZZY (471,824); newly-wed Innocent Idibia, @2faceidibia  (341,294) rank third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Other celebrities, who are a force to reckon with on the Nigerian Twitter space, are young and popular act, Davido, who uses the handle @iam_Davido,  with 299,100 followers. Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji, @GenevieveNnaji1, seems to be the most popular female public figure on Twitter – with 291,891 followers.

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