On the morning of Monday, August 28, 2023, Nigerians awoke to the news that the much-anticipated Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) judgement had been scheduled for September 16, 2023. Going by discussions on social media, the date is anticipated to be when the election tribunal court will announce its verdict regarding the election petitions filed...
Author: Gbemisola Adebowale
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FACT CHECK: Did Osun appoint SSA to government house swimming pool and Oranmiyan staff?
Two circulars from the Osun State government have been circulating online with controversial claims. One of the circulars announces an appointment of a “Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Government House Pool,” while the other designates an appointee as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Oranmiyan New Town & Grown Area Development.” Both...
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FACT CHECK: Does video show men of the Niger army preparing for war?
A video of a group of soldiers, purportedly from the Niger Army, has been widely circulated on social media and messaging platforms, such as Twitter, TikTok, and WhatsApp. According to various captions, the Niger soldiers are preparing to defend their country against the ECOWAS mission. The military staged a coup and suspended democratic rule in...
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FACT CHECK: Did the judges acknowledge Chimamanda Adichie in court?
A social media user has claimed that the judges at the Presidential Election Petition Court on August 1, 2023, acknowledged the presence of award-winning writer, Chimamanda Adichie. The claim was discovered on Twitter, where it had received over four thousand likes and had been viewed over 72 thousand times as of the time of this...
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FACT SHIELD: Ministerial Appointments And The Constitutional Requirements
57 days after being sworn in, Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president is yet to submit a list of ministerial nominees to the Senate for ratification. The absence of the much-awaited list has triggered a flurry of speculations and hints among citizens eagerly anticipating the appointment of key officials in the administration. Amidst the anticipation, there have...
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FACT CHECK: 50% fee reduction claim in Taraba State University true?
A screenshot of a memo said to be from the Taraba State University registrar’s office has been making the rounds on social media, particularly WhatsApp. The memo informs the university community about reduction in fees, which will take effect from the 2022–2023 academic year. It states that the 50% slash in fees was approved by...
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FACT SHIELD: What Does It Mean To Close A Case?
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...
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FACT CHECK: Did lightning strike a church after organising gay wedding?
A video allegedly obtained from WhatsApp has been widely shared on Twitter and other social media platforms. It is a video of a burning church with the logo of “Boston 25 News” attached to it. According to the user who shared the video, lightning struck the church while two famous homosexuals were getting married. The...
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FACT CHECK: Did video evidence cause Tinubu’s supporters to protest in court?
On June 10, 2023, a Twitter user who is known to be an ardent supporter of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), claimed that the supporters of Bola Tinubu, the newly elected president, who on the previous day were not present outside the courthouse, were there on June 10, protesting. The...
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FACT CHECK: Did Obi’s lawyers inform court that LP’s star witnesses were sick?
A Twitter user claimed that the lawyers of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), informed the court that two of the party’s star witnesses who ought to testify in court on Wednesday, May 31, were absent on account of sickness. The Twitter post has since generated over 13,000 views as of when...