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Overview of Key Issues in the Pre-Election Period for the June 18, 2022 Ekiti State Governorship Election (Pre-Election Press Statement)
The first of two off cycle governorship elections for 2022 will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State, on June 18, 2022. The election is the seventh in the state since the return of the current democratic dispensation in 1999. Following a 2010 Court of Appeal verdict, which removed then Governor Segun Oni, and declared Dr. Kayode Fayemi the rightful winner of the 2007 governorship election, Ekiti became one of several states holding off cycle governorship elections. The June 18, 2022 Ekiti State gubernatorial election is the very first to be conducted under the amended Electoral Act, 2022.As voters in Ekiti State head to the polls for tomorrow’s governorship election, the contest is apparently shaping up to be a three horse race involving the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which has clearly emerged as a third force in the election. CDD observes that there are 16 political parties fielding candidates for the election. Only two candidates and seven deputy governorship candidates are women, just as the age range of the candidates indicate low participation of the youth.
The CDD EAC will be closely observing the electoral process with the objective of collecting data to support evidence-based analysis of key aspects of the Ekiti State governorship election. The CDD EAC will also host a fake news hub for the purpose of tracking and countering fake news and misinformation as it affects the election.
Pre-Election Observations
Based on the observation of the CDD EAC in the pre-election period, the following are the key trends, which have underlined the process.
CDD notes that the June 18, 2022 Ekiti State Governorship election is significant because it will serve as the first dress rehearsal as the INEC prepares for the 2023 general elections. The election will also be the first to be conducted under the Electoral Act, 2022, and the new INEC guidelines and regulations for conduct of elections. CDD EAC further notes that although INEC has made commitments to conduct a credible election in Ekiti State, its success in this regard would depend on its neutrality, professionalism and the level of its understanding and commitment to the new legal framework. The credibility of the process would also depend on how well INEC uses some of its new powers as derived from the extant electoral law, especially the power conferred on the Commission to delay the release of election results, if the Commission needs to take a second look.
The CDD EAC is concerned about violence, money politics and violations of incumbency powers and the possible effects of these on the credibility of the election. CDD EAC notes that Ekiti State, has recorded several incidents of violence during previous elections. In the build up to the 2022 governorship election, pockets of election-related violence have been recorded in places like Ado Ekiti, Efon Alaiye, Oye, Ido/Osi and Oye Ekiti. Other observable issues, which would shape the credibility of the election include; how well INEC is able to effectively deploy technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), impartial security provisioning, the quality of results management, curtailing the role of money, incumbency and god fatherism in the election. Also critical is the need for stakeholders in the election to proactively track, and counter fake news and misinformation. Already, the pre-election period has witnessed the spread of fake news capable of undermining voter confidence and participation in the process. An example is the fake news which trended recently on a purported Appeal Court decision nullifying the primaries of one of the major political parties and, by extension, its candidate.
In terms of some of the election risk factor, CDD notes that the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU) has crippled the local economy especially in university towns in Ekiti State. This has created a threat in terms of the availability of idle youth being recruited for activities, which could undermine the credibility of the election. By grounding the local economy, the strike has also created the wrong incentives as voters are more likely to see the election as an opportunity for economic survival, thereby exacerbating the risk of vote buying. This becomes even more relevant when it is considered that Ekiti State introduced the issue of “stomach infrastructure” into the Nigerian political lexicon. CDD has also observed that based on history of past violence in elections in the state, the following Local Government Areas, constitute potential flash points in the election; Ado Ekiti, Efon Alaiye, Ido/Osi, and Oye.
Signed:
Professor Adele Jinadu
Chair, CDD EAC
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FACT CHECK: Did ex-Nigerian president Buhari admit that cabals hijacked his government?
Alli Ndume, a federal lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, has claimed in a recent interview on national television that the former president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, recently admitted that some individuals in power hijacked his government.
Ndume, who doubles as the deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, stated this while speaking about the details of the country’s proposed 2024 budget. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N27.5 trillion to the joint session of the 10th National Assembly on Wednesday, November 29.
Ndume, when expressing the need for massive recruitment in the military, said, “I’m sure he (Tinubu) is going to do it because he has started well..this budget. I believe in him (Tinubu), he can change things. The president here is in charge, that’s one thing with him. Sometimes, people even think that Tinubu is too authoritative, he takes charge unlike our former president (Buhari).
“(The former president) will just give you an assignment, he will not look over you. That’s where the problem is and he knows that. That was the mistake president Buhari did, he ended up confessing these days that he had more kleptocrats in his government than people that they have interest at heart. I was here when I said there were too many kleptocrats in the (Buhari’s) government. And now he confessed recently that truly..he admitted that there were some kind of people that took over power themselves. But in Tinubu’s government, you can’t do that.”
Buhari served two consecutive four-year terms as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.
In November, multiple media reports from The Vanguard, Daily Trust, and The Cable, as archived here, here, and here, claimed that during an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Buhari said that his government might have been hijacked by a cabal.
Claim: Former president Muhammadu Buhari admitted that cabals hijacked his government
Verification
To confirm the authenticity of the claim, CDD War Room checked Buhari’s exclusive interview with NTA, which was posted on the broadcast service’s YouTube page on November 21, 2023.
Buhari fielded questions bordering on his administration as president and also addressed the speculations about his cabinet. In the closing part of the interview, Buhari was asked to respond to the view by many Nigerians that he was surrounded by people who were corrupt. In response, he rather asked about what the citizens had done in their role to fight corruption.
“Well, what have they done in their own role to fight corruption as Nigerians? That is their own problem, it’s not my problem.”
He added, “You just can’t say such a person is corrupt. He has five cars when he should have only one. He has five houses when he should have only one and he has so many girlfriends or so many wives. But what have you done to stop it? Is it not part of your role or your duty as a citizen to make sure that if you see somebody who is corrupt, to blow the whistle? Why don’t you have the courage to blow the whistle? To say look, you are only treasurer for a local government, how do you manage to build house?
“He didn’t build the house in the air. He built it somewhere either in his village or he went to Abuja.”
When asked whether the impression that his administration was hijacked by certain cabals was a figment of imagination or not, Buhari responded that it must have been the former. He reiterated the question about what citizens had done in their role in the fight against corruption.
His words read, “It must have been, otherwise, why didn’t they talk? Why didn’t they say it? What do the people think they form themselves into a cabal and they are so important that they are not being questioned. What did they do about it? Don’t they have a role as Nigerians if things are being done by government.”
He was further asked if he felt that his government was hijacked, and he responded, “No, because I don’t deliberately allow anybody to misuse public resources for himself or for me. I didn’t allow it. I can’t act on what I don’t know. I couldn’t have acted on what I didn’t know. But if people know and they decide to sit on their knowledge and refuse to…they are part of the problem.”
Again, Buhari was asked if he had seen anyone who would have been like a possible cabal during his time in government.
“No no no.. Nobody was above the law and I don’t have any evidence of anybody doing anything wrong and being allowed to walk away, no,” Buhari said in response.
CDD War Room’s evaluation of Buhari’s responses in the interview showed that he did not admit that his government was hijacked by cabals.
The former president, while disregarding the impression of having cabals in his government, stated that there was no evidence to show that his government was hijacked by cabals. This is corroborated by media reports from The Punch and Daily Post, as can be seen here and here.
Verdict: FALSE
The claim that Buhari admitted that his government was hijacked by cabals is false. During the recent interview he had with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), he described the impression that his government was hijacked as a figment of people’s imagination, stating that he didn’t allow such to happen.
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FACT CHECK: Did ECOWAS Give $1.9million To 3 AES Member Countries To Fight Terrorism?
On December 8, 2023, the CDD War Room received a claim that the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) would give the sum of $1.9 million to three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States. The claim is contained in a news article published by Agence Nigerienne De Presse titled “Terrorism in the Sahel: 1.9 million US dollars from ECOWAS for each of the 3 AES member countries to fight against the phenomenon”
According to the news article, the decision is contained in a report submitted by Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the ECOWAS commission. He was alleged to have said the step is “part of ECOWAS contribution in the fight against terrorism in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger,” during the presentation of its general report on the state of the regional organisation, before the ECOWAS parliament, on November 30, 2023.
“The beneficiary countries include Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and each of them will receive 1.9 million US dollars as support from its institution in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.” According to the report, Burkina Faso will receive an additional $1 million because of the higher number of internally displaced people.
Verification:
On November 30, 2023, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, presented a report on the state of the Community to the Fifth Legislature’s Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament.
While presenting the report, Touray noted some key achievements of the commission that included “the free movement of goods and persons and initiatives like the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) and the ECOVISA system showcased tangible progress, with six Member States implementing ENBIC, fostering enhanced connectivity and trade across the region.”
In terms of security, he identified “the Commission’s collaborations with strategic partners, including the European Union and several prominent nations, which opened doors for impactful collaborations aimed at tackling security challenges and unlocking substantial financial opportunities, potentially exceeding 11.6 billion euros for the region.”
The CDD War Room received a copy of the report titled “SIXTY-FOURTH (64TH) ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AUTHORITY OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT; FINAL COMMUNIQUE”
In a 4-part keynote report, there is no part that states that the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) would give the sum of $1.9 million to three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States. The part B that dwells on “Peace, Security and Governance in the region” explains the Commission’s intervention across member states. Hence, we could not find the part that corroborates the financial interventions to the three-member states by ECOWAS.
Similarly, in the report, the only part where Mali and Burkina Faso were mentioned is on the “transition process of the region,” where Presidential Troika is expected to “urgently undertake visits to Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali, with a view to re-engaging the three countries in inclusive implementation of the transition programme.”
The CDD War Room also found a report where the ECOWAS commission donated $1.9 million to some member states. However, it was not for secuirty. The ECOWAS Commission, through the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), donated the sum of USD 1,960,000 to some Member States with each member state receiving $245,000 to improve care for women and girls suffering from obstetric fistula.
Verdict: FALSE
The CDD War Room found the report submitted by Omar Alieu Touray during the presentation before the ECOWAS parliament and the communique released at the end of sixty-fourth (64TH) ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS. We can confirm that no part of the report or the communique stated that the commission would give $1.9 million to three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States to tackle terrorism.
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FACT CHECK: Does IReV show over-voting with 174,183 votes in Adavi, Okehi and Okene LGAs in Kogi state?
An image showing the analysis of over-voting in three local governments in Kogi state was circulated on social media following the conclusion of the off-cycle governorship election in the state. According to the viral image retrieved from WhatsApp, there was over-voting with174,183 votes in Adavi, Okehi, and Okene LGAs.
Part of the caption shared alongside the image read, “Don’t be panic, INEC has asked them to go and balance the result from the central as over voting was discovered.”
The broadcast message added, “See the analysis below from iREV: Total accredited voters 94,233. Over voting 174,183. The difference 79,950.”
Screenshot of the broadcast message on WhatsApp The image appears to have originated from members of the opposition parties. It gives the impression that the data on INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) validate the figures and confirms over-voting in the three local government areas. The same image was shared on Facebook as can be seen here.
The INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV) is a platform created by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nigeria to provide real-time transmission of election results from polling units to the central collation centre. It was designed to enhance the transparency of the electoral process and reduce the incidence of vote rigging and election manipulation.
Adavi, Okehi, and Okene LGAs are in Kogi Central, one of the three senatorial districts where the governorship election was held on Saturday, November 11, 2023. Hours after polling units were opened for voting across the state, reports emerged online that the election result sheets brought to some of the polling units were found to have been pre-filled. That sparked controversies with the electorate calling on INEC to take immediate action.
At 8 pm on election day, INEC released a press statement where it disclosed the suspension of election in the “nine wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu).”
The Commission added that the other local government areas where related incidents were reported were being “thoroughly investigated, and the outcome, including the way forward, will be announced in the next 24 hours.”
“The Commission has received reports from our officials in Kogi State on incidences of electoral malpractices, particularly the incident of result sheets completed before voting.
“Reports indicate that the incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene Local Government Areas. The most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine of 10 Registration Areas,” parts of the statement read.
However, results from across the polling units where the election was not suspended, were collated at the Kogi State collation centre on Sunday, November 12.
The candidate of the All Progress Congress (APC), Usman Ododo, was declared winner and returned elected with 446,237 votes. His closest rival was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Murtala Ajaka, who polled 259,052 votes. Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came third with 46,362 votes.
Claim: IReV shows over-voting, with additional 174,183 votes in Adavi, Okehi, and Okene LGAs in Kogi state
Verification
Over-voting in an election is a situation where the total number of votes cast is higher than the number of accredited voters. This is captured in Section 51 of the Electoral Act 2022. Sub-sections 1 and 2 of the section state accordingly, “No voter shall vote for more than one candidate or record more than one vote in favour of any candidate at any one election.
“Where the number of votes cast at an election in any polling unit exceeds the number of accredited voters in that polling unit, the Presiding officer shall cancel the result of the election in that polling unit.”
To confirm the veracity of the claim, this researcher checked the result viewing portal, IReV, and assessed the uploaded results from the polling units across the three local governments.
Form EC8A is the result sheet expected to be filled and uploaded to IReV by the Presiding Officer at the Polling Unit. While the form is already pre-filled with the details about the unit, ward, local government, and parties, the PO is required to manually fill in the figures of registered voters, accredited voters, ballot papers issued to the unit, unused ballot papers, spoiled ballot papers, total valid votes, and unused ballot papers. Also, there is a part of the sheet where the votes scored by each party are to be entered with the total of the valid votes.
On the IReV, the uploaded results are categorized by the polling units, wards, and local governments, with the number of accredited voters for each polling unit.
Voters’ Accreditation Data on IReV vs the figures on Form EC8As
The first observation made by this researcher was a notice below the voters’ accreditation figures on the IReV portal, which reads, “Please note that accreditation figures may not be final until synchronization is completed from the devices used in this location.”
This indicates that the number of accredited voters on IReV might not represent the actual figures for some polling units. Subsequent checks by this researcher proved that to be the case for numerous polling units in Adavi, Okehi, and Okene LGAs.
Adavi LGA comprises 11 wards/ Registration Areas (RAs) with a total of 217 polling units (PUs). According to the portal, results for all the PUs have been uploaded. However, there were no accredited voters listed for five of the PUs on IReV. The number of accredited voters on IReV aligned with the figures on form EC8As for 22 PUs.
As for Okehi LGA, there are 11 wards and a total of 188 PUs. The portal shows that the results for 187 out of the 188 PUs have been uploaded. Nonetheless, there were no accredited voters for one PU on IReV. The number of accredited voters on IReV matched the figures on form EC8As for about 92 PUs.
Okene LGA has 11 wards with a total of 284 PUs. The portal indicates that the results for 274 out of the 284 PUs have been uploaded. However, there were no accredited voters listed for three PUs on IReV. The number of accredited voters on IReV corresponded with the figures on form EC8As for 6 PUs.
Accreditation Data on IReV Cleared
While assessing the uploaded results on IReV, this researcher observed changes in the accreditation figures on the portal.
Meanwhile, INEC had explained in a statement issued to address the alleged manipulation of accreditation data for Kogi election on IReV, that “the most accurate and up-to-date Voters’ Accreditation Data is available in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which is used for the authentication and accreditation of registered voters at various polling units on election day. It automatically retains the accreditation data of all voters.”
According to the Commission, the BVAS was designed to work offline without Internet connectivity to aid a seamless accreditation experience for voters. The BVAS is said to automatically export the accreditation data to the Accreditation Backend System (ABS) when its application is in use or active, depending on the strength of its connection to the Internet.
To further justify the changes in the accreditation figures, the Commission explained, “This exportation of data does not happen when the device’s application is inactive or when the internet connectivity is poor. The same experience applies to a situation where more than one BVAS gadget is used at a polling unit with 1,250 registered voters.
“At the close of poll, Presiding Officers are expected to press the data exportation button on the BVAS to ensure that all the accreditation data are exported to the ABS. This process, referred to as synchronization and which is ongoing, could lead to changes in the accreditation figures as more data flow in to update the existing figures. This is the basis for the caveat provided on the IReV portal, regarding the accreditation figures. The accreditation data cannot be changed on the BVAS after the close of poll.”
However, at the time of filing this report, this researcher observed that the accreditation figures on IReV have been cleared.
Screenshot of Form EC8A for PU 002, Ward 3, Adavi LGA on IReV before the Voters’ accreditation data were cleared.
Screenshot of Form EC8A for PU 002, Ward 3, Adavi LGA on IReV after the Voters’ accreditation data were cleared.
Discrepancies in Voting Figures, Blank and Blurry Result Sheets, Other Notable Issues
This researcher observed that the total valid votes for all parties were wrongly calculated on Form EC8As for some polling units. Similarly, while some of the Form EC8As uploaded to the IReV portal were marked with cancellation, some were wrongly captured making them blurry and not visible.
Screenshot of a blurry Form EC8A uploaded to the IReV
Form EC60(E) was uploaded for three polling units. While an empty Form EC60(E) was uploaded for one of the PUs, the two others had filled sheets without voters’ accreditation figures even though the total valid votes on the sheets matched the accreditation figure on IReV.
Screenshot of Blank result sheet uploaded for PU 20, Ward 8, Okene LGA
In Ward 2, Adavi LGA, the same Form EC8A was uploaded for PU 1 and PU 2. Also, for a polling unit in Ward 10, the number of accredited voters on the result sheet was higher than the number of registered voters for that unit.
Similarly, in PU 16, Ward 1, Okene LGA, the accreditation figure was higher than the number of registered voters on Form EC8A.
Cases of Over-Voting
This researcher analyzed the information provided on the uploaded result sheets and found that there were cases of over-voting in some polling units across the three local governments.
Adavi LGA:
In PU 7, Ward 10, Adavi LGA, the Form EC8A uploaded indicates that the number of total valid votes was higher than the number of accredited voters for the unit.
OKEHI LGA:
The Form EC8As for PU 10, Ward 7, Okehi LGA, indicates that the number of total valid votes was higher than the number of accredited voters for the two units.
OKENE LGA:
In PU 4, Ward 1; PU 8, Ward 5; PU 11 and 19, Ward 7; and PU 3, Ward 8; the Form EC8As indicate that the number of total valid votes was higher than the number of accredited voters for the units.
Polling Unit Ward/RA LGA No. of Accredited Voters on Form EC8A No. of Valid Votes on Form EC8A Difference PU 007 Ward 10 Adavi 800 809 9 PU 010 Ward 7 Okehi 430 439 9 PU 004 Ward 1 Okene 370 380 10 PU 008 Ward 5 Okene 543 640 97 PU 011 Ward 7 Okene 363 840 477 PU 019 Ward 7 Okene 251 271 20 PU 003 Ward 8 Okene 1 600 599 Total 2,758 3,979 1,221 Table showing the breakdown of over-voting in 7 PUs according to the uploaded results on IReV The above table shows the breakdown of the over-voting recorded in 7 polling units across Adavi, Okehi and Okene local governments, according to the available information on the IReV portal.
Verdict: INACCURATE
The claim that IReV shows over-voting with 174,183 votes in Adavi, Okehi, and Okene LGAs in Kogi state is inaccurate. Although there were cases of over-voting in some polling units, the assessment of available data on the result viewing portal revealed that the cases of over-voting recorded across the three LGAs were significantly below 2,000 votes. The results in the affected polling units were not however cancelled in line with Section 51(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
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FACT CHECK: Did The United Nations Issue An Organ Trafficking Alert?
A viral message has continued to spread across social media pages, especially WhatsApp, that the United Nations has issued an organ trafficking alert. According to the broadcast message with an image attached, titled “Organ Trafficking; UNITED NATIONS ALERT,” the message reads that “This is from UN alert system. Let’s share and warn others. You may save a life.
According to the viral message, various human parts were being sold in a booming market in the Middle East under the guise of promising and processing travel documents for the victims to work Abroad.
Claim: The United Nations issued an organ trafficking alert
Verification:
The CDD War Room combed through the social media pages of the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and found no report of such claim or alert. This prompted us to conduct further investigation.
We checked the URL attached to the broadcast message and found the “page or document not found.”
The CDD War Room used Wayback Machine to search for the URL attached to the claim “https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/organized-crime/intro/emerging-crimes/organ-trafficking.html.” We found five pages with similar URLs.
The pages with similar content, uploaded on the UNODC website, archived and retrieved using the Wayback Machine dated November 2017, December 2017, July 2018 and January 2021.
A look at the contents of these archived web pages showed that none of them were travel alerts. Some of the archived pages can be accessed here and here.
We found that these web pages contained reports released by the UNODC and titled “Emerging Crimes” and “Organ Trafficking.” In these web pages, there was no place where price tags were attached to human organs, nor was the Middle East described as a booming black market for human parts, as contained in the broadcast message.
In addition, the CDD War Room found that the broadcast message with the attached message was first circulated online in July 2021. The “United Nations Alert” was first shared by an X user (formerly Twitter) whose account has now been suspended.
Therefore, we can confirm that the broadcast message did not emanate from the United Nations (UN) or the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Verdict: FALSE
The CDD War Room can confirm that the United Nations did not issue the organ trafficking alert. We found that the broadcast message titled “United Nations Alert” does not emanate from the UN or the UNODC.The broadcast message was first shared by an X (Twitter user) in July 2021 and the link attached to the message could not be found on the World Wide Web.
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FACT CHECK: American presidents release periodic reports of their health checks?
During an interview on AriseTV with Kayode Ajulo SAN, Oseni Rufai, an Arise TV presenter, discussed the political situation in Ondo State. While proposing solutions to the issue of public office holders’ health concerns, Rufai stated that presidents in “sane climes” release periodic reports of their health checks to the public. He specifically mentioned the United States, where the president allegedly shares his health information regularly.
“Should we also put it in the constitution that public office holders like president or governor, to release periodic reports of their health, as is being done in some climes like America, where the president releases periodic report of his health check?”
Context:
Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu’s health issues have been disrupting his governance duties. He has been absent from the state for nearly six months, with varying reports about his whereabouts. The governor has yet to publicly address the people of the Sunshine State.
This situation has led to a power struggle between Akeredolu and the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa. The deputy governor has requested to be appointed acting governor, while the governor refuses to relinquish power. This issue has been debated at both the national and state levels. Bola Tinubu, the president of the country, has intervened to try and resolve the situation.
In addition, virtually all Nigerian presidents, since the death of Umaru Musa Yaradua, have had to travel abroad for medical attention due to health issues.
It is on this premise that Rufai, on Arise TV, recommended that the publication of periodic health records of presidents and governors be made mandatory by law, similar to the practise in the United States.
Verification:
The CDD War Room conducted research and found that American presidents have no constitutional obligation to disclose their health information to the public. Those who have done so have done so voluntarily and have only revealed selected details.
The issue of publicising presidents’ and presidential candidates’ health records and the ethics surrounding them has been a long-standing topic of discussion in the American media. The practise of health transparency by American presidents began with a presidential candidate who publicly disclosed his inability to continue campaigning due to health reasons.
However, American presidents have also been known to conceal information about their health. Former President Trump was accused by his personal physician of dictating his statement of good health and even confiscating his health records.
Verdict: MISLEADING
The CDD War Room found that the claim is misleading. There is no constitutional requirement for American presidents to release details of their health evaluations. Those who choose to do so do so at their own discretion and over the years, only few of the past American presidents have released their periodic health reports.
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FACT CHECK: Does viral video show Nigeria’s first lady, Remi Tinubu, threatening to chase Igbos away from Lagos?
A video is making the rounds on social media with the claim that it shows Remi Tinubu, wife of Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, threatening to chase Igbos out of Lagos state.
The video, retrieved from WhatsApp, was posted as a reel on Instagram and Facebook by a user identified as danprohecy.
The caption to the video reads, “This is too bad and moreso as coming from the Mother of the nation. Except it’s not real.”
The reel had garnered 3,600 shares and 996 likes on Facebook and over 1,000 likes on Instagram, as of when it was retrieved from the Meta platforms.
In the video, Remi is speaking with a lady of Igbo extraction who was laughing and pleading in Yoruba, as the former boasted about inheriting Igbos in Lagos state.
Remi could be heard speaking in Yoruba, “If you like, be recording, we will summon all the deities in Lagos to start chasing Igbos who don’t understand our language. Igbos who are not married to Yoruba will leave.
“Despite the love we have for you… We are not happy. Should I call on Obi-Eze? He said you’ve been compromised. You’ve brought a camera, go and play it. You’ve been compromised. We’ll inherit you.
Claim: Video shows Nigeria’s first lady, Remi Tinubu, threatening to chase Igbos out of Lagos state
Verification
We conducted a reverse image search using Yandex to confirm the authenticity of the viral video and to check if it was recent.
We found that the viral video was posted three days ago by a TikTok user with the username Steve.Steve.
Further checks show that the moment captured in the video was in 2019 during the period of the general elections.
However, the video resurfaced online in September 2022 in the buildup to the 2023 general elections, as seen here, here, here, here, here, and here
Verdict: MISLEADING
The CDD War Room can confirm that the viral video of Remi Tinubu is from 2019. In the clip, her utterances were more of frinedly banter and teasing comments, contrary to the narrative that the First Lady threatened to chase Igbos out of Lagos state.
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FACT CHECK: Anambra ranks among the top 5 Nigerian states in fiscal sustainability?
The governor of Anambra state, Charles Soludo, has claimed in a recent interview on national television that the state ranks among the top five Nigerian states in the aspect of fiscal sustainability.
He made the statement while speaking on the scorecard of his administration and the 2024 budget of the state.
In his response to the question regarding the debt profile of the state, Soludo said, “I would probably be the first governor in the country that the parliament (the previous parliament) approved for him to borrow and he refused to borrow. I’m now in the second year.. will complete my second year in office by March. They still also authorized in the budget for me to borrow and I still refused to borrow. 20 months down the line, we still have not borrowed. I am very bullish about fiscal management, ensuring sustainability.
“The legacy that I would like to leave is to leave a fiscally sustainable state. So we look at our numbers and say whether we are on the part of sustainability or not. In the recent publication by BudgIt about the sustainability of the states, Anambra now ranks among the top five.”
Claim: Anambra ranks among the top five Nigerian states in fiscal sustainability
Verification
To confirm the authenticity of the claim made by the governor of Anambra state, we checked the latest report by BudgIT and here is what we found.
The State of States is an annual report by BudgIT, a civic organisation, that assesses and ranks the fiscal performance of all 36 states in Nigeria from the most sustainable to the least sustainable.
The 2023 edition of the State of States report was themed “Subnational Healthcare Delivery for Improved Economic Development”.
The report shows that Anambra ranks number 5 on the fiscal performance index based on 2022 data. The first four states were Rivers, Lagos, Ebonyi and Kaduna respectively.
Screenshot of the ranking Anambra was ranked number 5 on Index A, which looks at the ability of states to meet their recurrent expenses with only their internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
On Index B where the ability of the states to cover all operating expenses (recurrent expenses) and loan repayment obligations with their total revenue (IGR, Aids and Grants) was assessed, Anambra was ranked number 3.
Anambra clinched the 12th position on Index C where the debt sustainability of the 36 states was assessed.
Also, Anambra was ranked number 5 on Index D which evaluates the degree to which each of the states is prioritizing capital expenditure with respect to their operating expenses.
Verdict: TRUE
The 2023 edition of the State of States report by BudgIT shows that Anambra ranks among the top five Nigerian states on the fiscal sustainability performance index.
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FACT CHECK: Lagos is the first African state to participate in the Lord Mayor’s show in London?
The Lagos State commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, claimed in a recent interview on national television that the state is the first African state to attend Lord Mayor’s show in London. The commissioner made the statement while addressing issues bordering on affairs of the state and the public procurement agency.
He described as false the allegation that the governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, paid his legal fees using state funds, as he addressed the controversies which have trailed the procurement activities in the state. When asked to speak on the status of the Lagos financial hub, Omotosho said, “What you call the roadshow is what we call the Lord Mayor’s show in London. Anytime a new Lord Mayor is in place, after his inauguration, he holds the Lord Mayor’s show. Lagos is the first African state to have been invited to this Lord Mayor’s show which has a tradition of about 850 years.
“The show that you saw on television is a prelude to business engagement and it took place in the heart of the city of business. The whole idea is to make Lagos a financial hub, an international financial centre. A council has been created for that headed by Mr. Governor himself.”
Claim: Lagos state is the first African state (sub-national government) to participate in the Lord Mayor’s Show procession in London
Verification
The Lord Mayor’s Show is an ancient show of London’s independence regarded as the oldest, longest, and least-rehearsed civic procession in the world.
CNN reported the participation of Lagos state in this year’s edition of Lord Mayor’s Show which was attended by Babajide Sanwo-Olu in London. According to the report dated November 14, 2023, Lagos state marked Africa’s inaugural appearance at the Lord Mayor’s Show. This was corroborated by the information on the website of the Lord Mayor’s Show as can be seen here.
Verdict: TRUE
The CDD War Room can confirm that Lagos state is the first African state (sub-national government) to participate in the Lord Mayor’s Show procession.
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FACT CHECK: Did Appeal Court Sack Dapo Abiodun And Order For A Re-run In 99 Polling Units?
On November 24, 2023, an X user (formerly Twitter) tweeted that the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, had been sacked by the Court of Appeal. He added that the Appeal Court ordered a rerun in 99 polling units of the state.
He said, “Just in: Appeal Court sacked Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, order for rerun in 99 Polling Units.”
More than 24 hours after tweeting, the post has garnered over 95,000 views and over 300 views .
Claim: Appeal Court sacks Dapo Abiodun and ordered a rerun in 99 polling units
Verification:
On March 19, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the gubernatorial election, having defeated Bayo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the INEC State Returning Officer, Kayode Adebowale, who announced the result, the APC candidate scored 276,298 votes to emerge the winner of the keenly contested election. Ladi Adebutu of the PDP polled 262,383 votes to come second, while Biyi Otegbeye of the ADC polled 94, 754 votes to come third.
Dissatisfied by the declaration, Adebutu of the PDP approached the tribunal. He alleged that the election did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and was marred with irregularities and corrupt practices. He added that over 40,000 voters were disenfranchised due to violence and pleaded with the court to nullify the election and declare him the winner. However, the tribunal upheld the election of the governor.
Adebutu of the PDP went further to the Appeal court, seeking to upturn the tribunal’s decision.
On November 24, 2023, the Appeal Court, Lagos Division, affirmed the re-election of Dapo Abiodun by dismissing the petition filed by Ladi Adebutu. Two of the judges, in their majority decision delivered by Shagbaor Ikyegh, upheld the election and declaration by INEC, thus affirming Dapo Abiodun of the APC as the governor of the state.
However, one of the three judges handed down a minority verdict. In the minority decision, Jane Inyang ruled that INEC should conduct a fresh election within the next 90 days.
It is important to know that the minority decision can not override the majority decision. Therefore, the majority decision will be regarded as the court’s decision. Hence, the majority decision upheld the re-election of Dapo Abiodun of the APC.
Dapo Abiodun has released a statement on his official X page (formerly Twitter), welcoming the decision of the Appellate Court.
Verdict: FALSE
The Appeal Court did not sack Dapo Abiodun or order for a rerun in the state. The Court, in the majority judgment delivered by Justice Joseph Ikyegh, affirmed the re-election of Dapo Abiodun of the APC as the duly elected governor of Ogun State and dismissed the appeal by Ladi Adebutu of the PDP.
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FACT CHECK: Heavy Gunfire Erupts Near Sierra Leone’s Military Barracks
On November 26, 2023, the CDD War Room received a claim that there was heavy gunfire near Sierra Leone’s military barracks.
Alongside the claim, a press statement was circulated indicating a security update from the Sierra Leone Government and the announcement of a curfew.
Claim: Heavy gunfire erupts near Sierra Leone’s military barracks
ALL WE KNOW
The CDD War Room can confirm that unidentified gunmen attacked a military barracks and attempted to break into an armory in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.
The residents of Wilberforce and Spur Road community said they woke up to a sporadic gunfire at about 2am on Sunday, November 23. The gunfire originated from the main military barracks at Wilberforce, near the President’s lodge.
The government said they have contained the situation. They released a press statement via the Information minister, Chernor Bah. The press statement titled “Security Update and Nationwide Curfew Announcement” was released in the early hours of Sunday, November 26, 2023.
The statement reads “In the early hours of Sunday, some unidentified individuals attempted to break into the military armoury at the Wilberforce barracks. They have all been rebuffed.”
The statement further revealed that “To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew has been declared with immediate effect across the country. We strongly advise citizens to stay indoors.”
The CDD War Room can confirm that following the government directives, the streets of Freetown are empty with groups of soldiers parading the streets to enforce the curfew.
Amidst this curfew, there are credible reports
that gunfire was heard in the empty streets of Freetown near the barracks.
As at the time of this report, the identity of the group behind the attack is yet to be ascertained.
