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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)

    Overview of Key Issues in the Pre-Election Period for the June 18, 2022 Ekiti State Governorship Election (Pre-Election Press Statement)

    T
    he 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

  • Fact Check: How true are Timipre Sylva’s claims?

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa state and Nigeria’s former minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, made a number of claims on May 6, 2023, when he granted an interview with Democratic Watch. 

    CDD Election War Room fact-checked these claims and here is what we found.

    CLAIM 1: Bayelsa state has a total of 185 kilometres of coastline.

    In analysing the many blessings that Bayelsa state is endowed with, Sylva stated that Bayelsa has one of the longest coastlines in the country with a total of 185 km of coastline. 

    Verification:

    Nigeria’s 853km-long coastline runs through seven of the Southern States of the Federation. They are Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Bayelsa and Ondo states’ coastline of 180km (each) are the longest in Nigeria.

    Therefore, Bayelsa state’s coastline only totals 180km, and not 185 km as claimed by Timipre Sylva. 

    Verdict: Inaccurate.

    The claim that Bayelsa state has a total of 185 km of coastline is Inaccurate. Bayelsa state’s coastline totals 180km. 

    CLAIM 2: The Atala oil field was revoked because it produced no value.

    Timipre Sylva claimed that the Atala oil field that was awarded to Bayelsa state was revoked because the land was left to fallow for many years and produced no value. 

    Verification: In 2003, Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration awarded the Atala marginal Oil field (OML 46) to the Bayelsa Oil Company Limited (BOCL) with Hardy and CEPL subsequently farming-in in 2005 and 2012, respectively.  

    However, the marginal field was revoked in April 2020, mainly because for 17 years, the BOCL failed to develop the field in line with the letter of award. Atala was shot in June 2018 and remained shut for about 650 days before the revocation. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) lawfully revoked the OML 46 license and requested Bayelsa to reapply at the new bidding process. However, the state government failed to reapply.

    In line with Nigeria’s petroleum laws, Halkin Exploration and Production Limited was duly awarded the OML 46 to operate and develop. Halkin was awarded the license on the condition that a signature bonus of millions of dollars was paid to the federal government. Halkin has since then began operation.

    Verdict: True.

    The claim that the Atala oil field was revoked because the field produced no value is true. The Atala field was awarded in 2003 and revoked in 2020 because the BOCL failed to develop the field in line with the letter of award.

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  • FACT CHECK: Is Abubakar Malami’s Claim On Journalists’ Safety In Nigeria Accurate?

    FACT CHECK: Is Abubakar Malami’s Claim On Journalists’ Safety In Nigeria Accurate?

    CLAIM:  Not a single incidence of death of a journalist has been recorded in Nigeria arising from infractions.

    VERDICT:  False

    CONTEXT:  The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made some claims during a recent Federal Executive Council meeting where the  Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced the approval of an Action Plan 2022 to 2026 to promote and protect human rights in Nigeria.

    Abubakar Malami asserted that” Nigeria is the only African country in 2022 that fully complied with the protection of journalists based on a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)”.

    He also claimed that “not a single incidence of death of a journalist has been recorded in Nigeria arising from infractions, relating thereto.” How accurate are the minister’s claims?

    VERIFICATION: To verify Malami’s claims, CDD fact checkers visited the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) website and found out that the report the minister quoted shows that at least 24 journalists have been killed in the country since 1992 with 12 confirmed to have been killed while doing their job.

    Also, the Press Attack Track website, which tracks and documents attacks on journalists, has documented over 500 reports from Nigeria since 1985, accounting for 52 journalists as victims of attacks in 2022 with state actors responsible for most of the attacks.

    However, in the first quarter of 2023 preliminary findings by Press Track Attack shows at least 45 journalists were attacked physically accounting for most cases recorded.

    A report by the Media Foundation for West Africa in 2021 stated that eight (8) journalists have been killed under the Buhari-led administration but only four were confirmed to have died in the discharge of their duty.

    Speaking on the claim Jonathan Rozen, a senior researcher with the Committee to Protect Journalists CPJ, reiterated that Malami’s claims are false.

    He noted that CPJ research has for decades documented attacks on journalists, the arrest, and prosecution of journalists, and the maintenance of laws that criminalize journalism in surveillance of the press.

    He further stated that in 2020, “Malami mischaracterized the fact that Nigeria was not included in the CPJ’s impunity index as an achievement by Nigerian authorities. However, Nigeria was no longer included in the 2020 index because it tracked only killings from the previous 10 years, and therefore no longer included a killing from 2009. Nigerian authorities have not achieved full accountability for any journalist deaths that CPJ has documented.”

    CONCLUSION: Based on verifiable data and Rozen’s comment, CDD fact-checkers can confirm that the claims made by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, are inaccurate and misleading.

    Fact Check link: https://dailytrust.com/fact-check-is-malamis-claim-on-journalists-safety-in-nigeria-accurate/

  • Fact check: Did FG Exclude Finance Ministry from the Treasury Single Account (TSA)?

    Fact check: Did FG Exclude Finance Ministry from the Treasury Single Account (TSA)?

    Claim: Federal Government Exclude Ministry of Finance from Treasury Single Account (TSA)

    Verdict: False

    Context: A few days ago, there were reports that the federal government has excluded the Ministry of Finance from the Treasury Single Account policy of the federal government. The report was carried by many online mediums and blogs.

    The TSA is an arrangement where all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies operate a unified structure of government bank accounts in a single account or a group of linked accounts for all receipts and payments.

    CDD Fact checkers on Sunday 7th May 2023 recalls that the federal government began the TSA implementation in September 2015 shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office.

    Background

    The TSA is a public accounting system using a single account, or a set of linked accounts by government to ensure all revenue receipts and payments are done through a Consolidated Revenue Account (CRA) at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The pilot TSA policy was first introduced during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 using a unified structure of accounting for 217 government Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs, which was targeted at checking incidence of multiple accounts operated by government MDAs for collection and spending of government revenues.

    However, implementation began in 2015 as government MDAs started remitting revenue collections to the Consolidated Revenue Account through their individual commercial banks on a fee-for-service remuneration basis.

    The coming of the policy gave right to the Ministry of Finance and Accountant General of the Federation to have full oversight of all cash flows across different MDAs bank accounts as all payments through the TSA follow an electronic system, with direct payments or deposits to the bank account of the beneficiary MDAs.

    Last year, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dr Dasuki Arabi, said the Federal government had saved about N10 trillion since the introduction of Single Treasury Account (TSA).

    Verification: Checks by Daily Trust on Sunday show that the federal government only approved the partial exemption of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) from the treasury single account (TSA) policy. MOFI is a corporation solely vested with the responsibility to manage all federal government investments, interests, estates and rights.

    While speaking at the inauguration of the governing council of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), President Muhammadu Buhari who announced the partial exemption also granted the request of the board to charge management and transaction fees. He also approved the inclusion of the minister of power in the governing council.

    Speaking on the approvals, the president said the new Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) board was inaugurated to transform the organisation from a registry of investment records to a world-class asset and investment management company.

    Buhari said as a government-owned investment company, the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) must be supported to exercise its responsibility of achieving strong returns on investments, while also contributing to the economic development of the country.

    “With a vast portfolio and strategic investments that span across multiple sectors, Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) has the potential to shape industries, spur innovation, and support economic growth,” he said.

    Conclusion: CDD fact-checkers on Sunday 7th May 2023 verifications show that the federal government did not exclude the federal ministry of Finance from the Treasury Single Account policy, however, it partially exempted the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) – saddled with the responsibility of managing Nigeria’s investments, interest among others, as such the reports were misleading. Therefore, the claim is false.

    Fact check link: https://dailytrust.com/did-fg-exclude-finance-ministry-from-tsa/

  • FACT CHECK: How true are Shettima’s claims about Tinubu’s appointments as Lagos governor?

    Premium Times, a prominent Nigerian news outlet, published a report on vice president-elect Kashim Shettima’s, attendance at a book launch in Abuja. 

    It was reported that Shettima made a number of historical assertions while demonstrating the commitment of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the incoming president, to gender-related issues. 

    The claims were investigated by the CDD Election War Room to determine their veracity and here is what we found.

    Claim I: Tinubu was the first governor to appoint a female as his deputy.

    Verification 

    The first female deputy governors came in two varieties: one was appointed and one was elected. 

    Selected deputy governor 

    Okunnu Lateefa Modupeola was the first woman to be “selected” as a deputy governor. She served between 1988 and 1991 as Raji Rasaki’s deputy, the Military Governor of Lagos State.  

    Similarly in 1990, Aisha Pamela Sadauki was appointed by the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida, to serve as the deputy governor to Abubakar Tanko Ayuba, then military governor of Kaduna State.

    Elected deputy governor   

    Sinatu Ojukutu is the first woman to be “elected” as deputy governor in Nigeria.  She was elected during Nigeria’s brief third republic, alongside former Lagos state governor Michael Otedola, who chose her as his running mate under the auspices of the National Republican Convention (NRC). They were elected in 1992 and later ousted from power following the military takeover in 1993. 

    Who was Tinubu’s deputy? 

    Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the governor of Lagos from 1999 to 2007. 

    Kofoworola Bucknor- Akerele served as his deputy during his first term, from 1999 to 2003. For Tinubu’s second term from 2003-2007, she was succeeded by Femi Pedro. 

    Kasim Shettima had in 2022 made the false claim that Tinubu was the first governor to elect a woman as his deputy. He was factchecked by several fact-checking organixations and news outlets.

    Verdict: FALSE

    The claim that the first female deputy was selected by Bola Tinubu is false. 

    Claim II: Tinubu was the first person to appoint a woman as the chief judge of a state

    Verification

    The first woman to hold the position of chief judge in Nigeria was Rosaline Ajoke Omotosho. She served as Lagos State’s chief judge from April 12, 1995, until her retirement on February 27, 1996, three years before Tinubu became the governor of Lagos state. She was also the first female judge in West Africa. Since then, numerous states across the nation have appointed women to fill the highest judicial position. Another woman, Ibitola Adebisi Sotuminu, served as the state’s chief judge from 2001 to 2004, when Bola Tinubu was Lagos’ governor.  

    Nigeria appointed its first female Chief Justice of the Federation, Aloma Mariam Muktar. Her appointment was in 2012, during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. 

    In 2015, the Lagos State government constructed a new courthouse in honour of Rosaline Omotosho, the first female chief judge of the state, as a way to immortalise her. 

    Verdict: FALSE

    The claim that Bola Tinubu appointed the first female chief judge is false. 

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  • FACT CHECK: Shehu Sani Levels Multiple Allegations Against Buhari’s Administration

    As the president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari’s eight (8) years tenure ends, there have been several discourse in terms of his performances. Shehu Sani a former senator, made several claims regarding the performance of the outgoing president on his official Twitter page on May 3, 2023. 

    The tweet has garnered over 223,000 views as of the time of this report.

    CDD Election War Room checked these claims, and here is what we found.

    CLAIM I: Muhammadu Buhari is leaving behind 77 trillion Naira debt.

    Verification

    According to data gotten from the Debt Management Office (DMO), the Director-General of the Debt Management Office, DMO (DG-DMO) explained that using the actual public debt stock of N44 trillion as at September 30, 2022 as a basis and considering several ongoing activities, the total public debt stock, that is the external and domestic debt of the Federal Government, thirty-six (36) States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be about N77 Trillion. As of June 2015, when Buhari’s first term began, Nigeria debt profile stood at approximately N12.12 trillion.

    Verdict: True

    According to the Debt Management Office, the projected debt stock by May 2023 will be N77 trillion Naira.

    CLAIM II: Nigeria has 133 million poverty stricken citizens.

    Verification

    According to the European Anti-Poverty Network, people are considered to be “At Risk of Poverty or Exclusion” if they are at risk of relative monetary poverty (AROP indicator) and/or severely materially deprived (SMD indicator) and/or living in households with very low work intensity. People are counted only once even if they fall under all of the three situations.

    On November 17, 2022, The Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), launched the results of the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Survey. The data obtained showed that 63%, which is about 133 million persons living within Nigeria are multidimensionally poor. 

    Verdict: True

    CLAIM III: According to UNICEF, 25 million Nigerians are at the risk of hunger.

    Verification

    What is the definition of hunger?

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the global hunger index captures three dimensions of hunger: insufficient availability of food, shortfalls in the nutritional status of children and child mortality (which is, to a large extent, attributable to undernutrition). Accordingly, the index includes three equally weighted indicators: the proportion of people who are food energy-deficient, as estimated by FAO; the prevalence of underweight in children aged under 5 years, as compiled by WHO; and the mortality rate of children aged under 5 years, as reported by UNICEF.

    On January 16, 2023, UNICEF released a press statement that “Nearly 25 million Nigerians are at risk of facing hunger between June and August 2023 (lean season) if urgent action is not taken, according to the October 2022 Cadre Harmonisé, a Government led and UN-supported food and nutrition analysis carried out twice a year.”

    Verdict: True

    The data showed that there has been an increase in food security which gave rise to the 25 million of Nigerians facing hunger.

    CLAIM IV: Nigeria has 10 Million out-of-school children

    Verification

    According to the United Nations, out-of-school children are children who are yet to be enrolled in any formal education excluding pre-primary education. The age range for out-of-school children is between six and eleven years.

    UNICEF, reported that about 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school. However, UNESCO announced in September 2022 that Nigeria now has about 20 million out-of-school children.

    Verdict: Inaccurate

    The data presented indicates that the figures reported by Shehu underestimate the number of children who are not currently enrolled in school.

    Conclusion

    In light of multiple data sources, it can be inferred that during Buhari’s government, there were notable surge in unemployment rates, economic instability, and insecurity in Nigeria. Despite focusing on improving security and implementing various policies to boost the economy during his campaign, the country’s economic and security conditions have experienced a significant decline over the course of his 8 years administration.

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  • FACT CHECK: Did the 2023 presidential election record less than 20 million votes?

    The chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, while appearing at an interview on AriseTV, spoke on the just-concluded 2023 presidential election. 

    Claim I: Buba Galadima claimed that less than 20 million people voted during the 2023 presidential election

    Verdict: False

    Verification:
    The 2023 presidential election had a total of 24.9 million recorded votes which makes up 26.72 per cent of the total registered voters according to dataphyte. Premium Times also reported that only 25,286,616 – about 28.63 per cent– of all eligible voters in Nigeria, participated in the 2023 presidential election. These figures from credible media organizations showed that the people who voted are more than 20 million.

    Claim II: Buba Galadima claimed the NNPP logo was ‘malfaced and unrecognisable’

    Verdict: True

    Verification:

    There were several reports from NNPP in Anambra State, where Helen Mbakwe, the party’s senatorial candidate for Anambra Central, said she lost the election due to the blurred logo of the party on the ballot papers. Similarly, the Nasarawa West senatorial candidate of the NNPP in the presidential and National Assembly elections, Wakili Kabiru-Muhammad, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Election Tribunal over the alleged omission of the party’s logo in Nasarrawa State.

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  • Fact Check: Did Buhari promise to create 3 million jobs annually in 2015?

    Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, during an interview on Arise TV on May 2, 2023 made some claims in defense of his just released fact sheet on the out-going administration.

    Claim 1: Buhari did not promise  to create 3 million jobs per annum in his 2015 campaign.

    Outlining the achievements of Buhari in eight years, the special adviser, Femi Adesina noted that the administration had created 119,000 jobs in total. He however claimed that President Buhari did not promise  to create 3 million jobs annually in 2015 when asked by the Arise correspondence.

    According to him, “Did you say three million was the promise? I wouldn’t say he put a figure. What I recall was that President Buhari gave the percent of joblessness in the country. I wouldn’t recall that he gave a specific figure for the number of jobs we are creating.”

    “For all you know, that may have come from anywhere.”

    Verification

    The CDD Election War Room could not find a video evidence of Buhari promising to create three million jobs at a town hall meeting in Kano. We combed through the internet to find video evidence to where Buhari made the promise, all to no avail.

    However, we found a news report upholding that Buhari did promise to provide 3 million jobs annually. According to the Guardians report, Buhari made this promise on February 3, 2015 while addressing a town hall meeting in Kano state.

    We found the video of a meeting Buhari had with the organised private sector in Kano State. Although the meeting which was dated February 3, 2015 did not show Buhari mentioning the issue of job creation, one of the speakers did mention that the outgoing president had spoken about it earlier.

    Verdict: No evidence

    The claim that Buhari promised three million jobs has no video evidence. The only evidence we found is a news report by the Guardian and an address by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on May 1, 2015. They “vowed to hold the incoming Muhammadu Buhari-led government accountable in respect of his party’s promises to Nigerians and workers in particular.” The news report was titled “We’ll hold Buhari, APC to ‘3 million jobs a year’ pledge – NLC, TUC”

    Claim II: It is not the government itself that creates jobs

    Adesina, while defending his principal’s inability to provide three million jobs as allegedly promised in 2015, noted that it was not the job of the government to create jobs for its citizens.

    Adesina was quoted saying, “Regard as it may, it is the job and the duty of the government to create an enabling environment for jobs in the country. It is not the government itself that creates jobs. All it does is to create an enabling environment. Most of the jobs you need in a country would come from the private sector. As long as you have an enabling environment, it is the private sector that will create the jobs.”

    Verification: The CDD Election War Room found that the Chapter 2, section 17 (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended, obligates the government to “direct its policy” towards ensuring that citizens have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment without discrimination. The constitution further insists that the conditions of employment are humane, health and welfare are secured, that there is equal pay and that exploitation is avoided.

    The constitution does not however specify on the role of the government to create jobs.

    Verdict: True

    The government is not obligated to create jobs but to create enabling policies and environment for job creation.

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  • FACT CHECK: Binani’s campaign coordinator makes multiple false claims about Adamawa guber poll

    Vrati Nzonzo, the campaign coordinator for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa’s gubernatorial election, made multiple claims while speaking on Channels Television over the issues that trailed the state’s recently concluded supplementary election. 

    The Adamawa guber poll held on March 18, 2023 and was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the cancelled votes were more than the margin of victory between Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the candidate of APC, Aishatu Dahiru, popularly known as Aisha Binani.

    A report by the CDD Election War Room earlier revealed how a campaign account on Twitter misled the public with the false claim that Aisha Binani had won the election to become Nigeria’s first female elected governor.

    The supplementary election, later held in 20 Local Government Areas of the state, was marred with controversies as the INEC resident electoral commissioner (REC) for the state, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, declared Aisha Binani as the winner of the polls while the collation of results was yet to be concluded. 

    Claim I: The declaration of Aisha Binani as the winner of the election was within the statutory responsibility of Adamawa REC, Hudu Yunusa-Ari

    Verification 

    In the statement released by INEC to declare “null, void and of no effect,” the declaration of Aisha Binani as winner of the Adamawa poll, the electoral umpire said “the action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer.”

    Section 25 of the 2022 Electoral Act (as amended) gives a breakdown on the declaration of election results at different levels of the process, from the polling unit to the national collation centre. 

    In the case of the governorship election, 25(2)(f) states that the returning officer shall be the one to announce the result and declare the winner at the state collation centre. 

    Section 65(1)(c) further states that the decision of the returning officer shall be final on the declaration of votes garnered by candidates and the return of the candidate who wins the election. 

    65(2) added, “A decision of the returning officer under subsection (1) may be reviewed by an election tribunal or court of competent jurisdiction in an election petition proceedings under this Act.” 

    Verdict: FALSE 

    The declaration of Aisha Binani as winner of the Adamawa guber poll was not within the statutory responsibility of Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the State’s REC. The returning officer is statutorily responsible for the declaration of results and the return of a winner, according to the Electoral Act.

    Claim II: Hudu Yunusa-Ari is the returning officer in Adamawa state 

    Verification 

    The returning officer for Adamawa state in the 2023 general elections was Muhammed Laminu Mele, a professor of English and Linguistics from the University of Maiduguri in Borno state. This was reported by multiple credible news outlets as seen here, here, and here. 

    Verdict: FALSE

    Hudu Yunusa-Ari was not the returning officer in Adamawa state as multiple credible reports show that it was Muhammed Laminu Mele, a professor from the University of Maiduguri, Borno state.

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  • FACT CHECK: Application For Free Hajj, Ploy To Steal Your Personal Information.

    FACT CHECK: Application For Free Hajj, Ploy To Steal Your Personal Information.

    CLAIM: A WhatsApp message claiming that the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would sponsor over 400,000 persons for the 2023 Hajj.

    VERDICT: False

    CONTEXT:  A message is being shared on different WhatsApp groups urging individuals to apply for a sponsored hajj. The message claimed that sponsorship is from the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

    The message read “Hajj! HAJJ!! HAJJ!!! EVERY ONE CAN APPLY FOR 2023 FREE SPONSORSHIP HAJJ SCHEME. MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN is providing Over 400 Thousand Hajj Slot for everyone willing to do this year hajj without paying money. It is no longer news. APPLY NOW”

    VERIFICATION:   A visit to the website, https://shtnar.com/hajj-2023-scheme, indicated that personal information, like name, age, email, phone number, occupation, and country among others, were asked in the opening page before a visitor is redirected to another page when ‘submit’ is clicked.

    The page contains a picture of the crown prince while a couple of testimonials, that are comments, were posted on it. An icon with the word ‘continue’ was placed in the middle of the page and when clicked, it will ask for the full name of the visitor as well as whether the person has an international passport.

    Another icon ‘send’ is clicked upon which pop up with the message; “You are qualified to Apply for MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN HAJJ SPONSORSHIP SCHEME 2023. How to proceed: Share it with 5 groups or 15 friends on Whatsapp (Click on the “SHARE” icon below). You will be redirected automatically to our “APPOINTMENT” page after the GREEN verification bar is filled. You will receive a confirmation Email Within 24hours After Successful Application.”

    What is Phishing?

    Phishing is a form of scam where an individual appears as a trusted entity or person in email or other forms of communication. Perpetrators often use emails to distribute malicious contents like links or attachments with the aim of gaining access to your device which can be in the form of extracting your login credentials or account information.

    Having this in mind, when the next information is sent to your email and you download it, the scammers can gain full access to all your information including passwords to the email and other social logins. Also, you can be called through your phone number while they disguise as your bank representative to gain access to your bank account.

    In Nigeria, phone scamming is the most widespread which scammers have used to withdraw money from the bank account of their victims.

    Does Saudi Arabia offer free Hajj?

    Hajj is the holy pilgrimage that Muslims engage in during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar and the exercise is among the five pillars of Islam.

    Slots for exercise are regulated by Saudi Arabia since the pilgrimage occurs in the country. Countries with a large Muslim population are given a certain number of slots through their regulatory agencies through which individuals apply, depending on the laws in the country.

    Though Saudi Arabia grants free hajj through its embassies in other countries, who are referred to as the guest of the king, it is done through a rigorous process and not by online application.

    The total number of pilgrims expected for the 2023 Hajj is 2m, thus, it will be impossible for the country to give 400,000 persons free hajj, which will be of a huge cost to the country.

    CONCLUSION: CDD fact checkers run an analysis on the website using some Open-Source Intelligence Tools (OSINT) and it was confirmed that the website is not a trusted one. A review of the website on Scamadviser, a tool that grades websites on their originality, gave the website one score over a hundred.

    It stated that this is due to the website not having many visitors with several negative reviews found on it. Similarly, it said the website has only been registered recently. Also, a check on Whois, a tool that provides information on domain names, stated that the link was created last month in Toronto, Canada and it is hosted on a private server. Therefore, the message is false.

  • FACT CHECK: Did Uzor Kalu say Peter Obi is to blame if he doesn’t become senate president?

    FACT CHECK: Did Uzor Kalu say Peter Obi is to blame if he doesn’t become senate president?

    With the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the results of the 2023 presidential election in court, attention has shifted to the race for the seat of the Senate president.

    Orji Uzor Kalu is one of the leading aspirants for the position of senate president.

    An online quote found on several Facebook posts has been attributed to Kalu, a member of the All Progressives Party (APC) and a former governor of Abia state.

    In the viral post attributed to Kalu, Obi was asked to stop the court case against the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, or else Obi would be held responsible if Kalu does not win the senate presidency.

    CDD Election War Room looked into the veracity of the quote, and here is what we found.

    VERIFICATION

    CDD Election War Room checked through major and credible media outlets to see if the statement was reported. However, there was no coverage of the statement.

    We then checked through Kalu’s Twitter and Facebook pages and found that the senator has debunked the claim on his verified Facebook page, stating that the post was to tarnish his image.

    Verdict: False. Orji Uzor Kalu has not said Peter Obi is to blame if his ambition to become senate president is not achieved. Kalu has put out a statement debunking the claim.

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