According to reports, Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has closed his election petition case against Bola Tinubu, the newly sworn-in president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The story was headlined “Atiku Abubakar closes case against Tinubu” by many news outlets across the country. While those familiar with legal terms may...
Category: Explainers
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All We Know About Abba Kabir-led Government Demolition Spree in Kano
On May 29, 2023, the newly sworn-in Kano governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP) made some announcements in his inaugural speech. The highlight of the announcement was the immediate demolition of illegal structures erected within some identified public places in Kano state. Corroborating the stance of the government, the newly...
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FACT CHECK: Has Ebonyi Airport been abandoned by commercial airlines? Here’s all we know…
A viral image circulating on Facebook claims that the newly commissioned Ebonyi Airport has been abandoned by commercial airlines and transformed into a motor park. This news is gaining attention a few months after the airport’s inauguration. Claim: The Ebonyi airport has been abandoned by commercial airlines Verification: On April 27, 2023, the Muhammadu Buhari...
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Is the Special Adviser on Security same as National Security Adviser?
On Thursday, June 15, 2023, Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu appointed a set of Special Advisers, including the Special Adviser on Security. Tinubu appointed Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as his Special Adviser on Security. However, many people are curious whether the position of the Special Adviser on Security...
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FACT SHIELD: Unmasking parody accounts and identifying authentic handles on Twitter
While fact-checking initiatives play vital roles in providing accurate information to counter false narratives, despite their efforts, fact-checks often struggle to achieve the same level of traction and reach as the original 'fake news' stories. This disparity in impact poses a significant challenge in mitigating the influence of misinformation.
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FACT SHIELD: All you need to know about off-cycle elections in Nigeria
Following the release of the timetable for off-cycle elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties and their political actors in Nigeria kicked off plans and activities for the elections. The off-cycle elections will take place in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states. Subsequently, political parties held primary elections and presented their gubernatorial candidates...
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FACT SHIELD: Can a president-elect hold a dual citizenship? Here’s all we know
David Hundeyin, a Nigerian journalist, made a post about Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu, alleging that he has dual citizenship. Hundeyin posted a picture, alleged to be Tinubu’s passport, which showed the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag-bearer to be of “Guinean nationality”. The post, which immediately gained traction and went viral, has caused a series of...
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Analysis: Binani, Peter Obi, Tinubu drive social media trends
In the past few weeks, the political landscape has been rocked by a series of controversial news stories. However, two political parties and their members have been at the forefront of the discourse. These parties have engaged in a fierce war of words, each attempting to discredit the other. As a result, both parties have...
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FACT SHIELD: All you need to know about supplementary elections
Barely a week after the gubernatorial elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that it will hold supplementary elections on April 15, 2023. These elections are to hold in states where elections were declared inconclusive. These supplementary elections will be conducted in over 2600 polling units across 185 local government areas in 24 states...
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How CDD Election War Room tackled ‘fake news’ during elections
Compiled by Valeria Ogide and Felix Tola-Winjobi With the 2023 general election in Nigeria coming to an end, the CDD Election War Room looks back on what has been a very misinformation-heavy election. In the last three months, the War Room has published more than 100 fact checks in an attempt to moderate the information...