A press statement criticising Shuaibu Audu, minister of steel development, over the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign in Kogi State is circulating on social media.
The press statement, which was retrieved from WhatsApp, was purportedly issued by the Forum of Igala Journalists (FORIJA). It was signed by the secretary general of the forum, Omonu Nelson, and dated November 2, 2023.
Parts of it read, “On behalf of the Forum of Igala Journalists (FORIJA), I am writing to express our deep disappointment at your decision to lead the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the November 11 governorship election in Kogi state.
“Your father, Prince Audu Abubakar, was a beloved and respected leader of the Igala people and Kogi State at large. He was known for his integrity, commitment to good governance, and love for his people.
“We believe that your decision to support Governor Yahaya Bello’s Proxy Third Term bid is a betrayal of your father’s legacy and goodwill that he earned for your family.”
Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Shuaibu Audu as the minister of steel development following his emergence as Nigeria’s president in the 2023 general elections.
Claim: Forum of Igala Journalists (FORIJA) issued a press statement criticising Shuaib Audu, minister of steel development, over APC campaign in Kogi state.
Verification
To confirm the veracity of the press statement, this researcher conducted a Google reverse search and found that the development was reported by multiple news blogs here and here. Also, the letter was posted by multiple Facebook users as can be seen here, here, and here. The news report and Facebook posts were dated November 3, 2023.
This researcher further called the phone numbers listed at the top of the press statement.
The first person this researcher spoke with refused to disclose his name, but he was identified as Jeremiah Ocheme on Truecaller, an Open Source Intelligence Tool (OSINT).
Ocheme, who disclosed that he was a founding member of FORIJA, confirmed the authenticity of the press statement. He said he is no longer a member of the forum due to an ideological disagreement.
When asked why his phone number is still on the letterhead, he explained that the group continued to use the stationery that was in use when he was an active member in Abuja, adding that he is now in Kano state.
The second person this researcher spoke with, identified as Tope, also confirmed the letter, stating that he is no longer a member and has moved to Oyo state.
Furthermore, this researcher found a Facebook page known as “Arise Igala Magazine.” The page also posted the press statement alongside a response statement purportedly from Shuaibu Audu. An assessment of the contents on the Facebook page shows that Arise Igala TV had an exclusive interview with the minister of steel in October 2023.
The FORIJA Facebook pages as seen here and here have no recent posts; the latest posts on the pages are from 2019.
When this researcher contacted the secretary-general of the association, Omonu Nelson, he confirmed that he had signed and issued the press statement. Further check shows that the association was registered as a legal entity by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigeria’s corporate registry, in 2017.
Verdict: TRUE
We can confirm that the viral press statement criticising Shuaibu Audu, the minister of steel Development, over the APC campaign in Kogi state, was indeed issued by the Forum of Igala Journalists (FORIJA). The general secretary of the association, Omonu Nelson, confirmed the authenticity of the letter.
Leave a Reply