Armsfree Ajanaku
Editor In Chief
Mr. Ajanaku is an award-winning journalist, development writer and activist. He has worked extensively in the civic and media spaces to promote human rights, democracy and accountable governance. His deep interest in understanding and disseminating around various national and global challenges found an initial outlet in development journalism. This enduring interest in developmental journalism explains his career at The Guardian, the acclaimed flagship of the Nigerian Press, where he covered key governance and public sector issues. His contributions were recognized with nominations as Climate Change Media Partnership Fellow (CCMP) by the Earth Journalism Network. Thereafter, Mr. Ajanaku was awarded by the United Nations Development Programme and the Nigerian Guild of Editors for excellent development reporting.
Ahmad Aluko
Fact-Checker, Sub-Editor
Aluko Ahmad is the acting Team Lead of Fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa). His interest cuts across tech, governance, politics, international relations and communications.
He has published research works in the Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research (MJOSBR), Applied Worldwide Nigeria, Academia & the Vanguard. His fact-check has been quoted by The Republic, The Punch, Per Second News, and the Nigerian Tribune.
He obtained his first degree from the Faculty of Communication and Information Science, University of Ilorin.
Chioma Iruke
Fact-Checker, Sub-Editor
Chioma Iruke is a fact-checker with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa). She is a diversity journalist, fact-checker, and multi-talented writer and researcher.
Chioma’s experience in the media cuts across journalism and the development sector with some of her works highlighted in various newspapers, blogs, and websites. Her career journey has given her the opportunity to interview major players in the entertainment, development, governance, and political sector such as former presidential aspirant Donald Duke.
She’s a graduate of Abia State University and a member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Gbemisola Adebowale
Fact-Checker, Sub-Editor
Gbemisola Adebowale is a fact-checker at the Centre for Democracy and Development
(CDD), where she plays a critical role in monitoring emerging trends and combating the
disinformation in Nigeria's political landscape. Her work has been recognised by leading
media platforms, such as Al Jazeera.
She is also a legal practitioner with interests across research, politics, and community development. Her curiosity about the Nigerian political system has influenced her work in various capacities, including as a researcher at the National Assembly and presently as a volunteer at The Policy Roundtable, where she translates and simplifies government policies into easily comprehensible language for the general public. Beyond politics, she is interested in exploring the intersection between music and history as a catalyst for social change.
Gbemisola has a law degree from the University of Ibadan and a B.L. from the Nigerian
Law School, Abuja. She is currently a 2023 scholar at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab.
Raji Olatunji
Fact-Checker, Sub-Editor
Raji Olatunji currently serves as a sub-editor at the misinformation and disinformation unit of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa). He was part of the CDD Election War Room project, funded by the UK government to combat information disorder in Nigeria's 2023 general elections.
Olatunji has, over time, developed a strong commitment to propagating social consciousness, media literacy, and an accountable governing process. As a volunteer, he covered the 2018 Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections for the Centre for Journalism, Innovation, and Development, CJID (formerly PTCIJ). He also participated in Dataphyte's 2021 market research survey, where he gathered data from over 300 people in Minna, Niger state capital.
His reports have been published by reputable media platforms including Premium Times, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), and The FactCheckHub. He has featured in reports published by the Media Career Development Network and FactCheckElections. He once volunteered for Dubawa to sensitize secondary school students on media literacy, and has trained over 30 student journalists on fact-checking. He has fact-checked varying claims made by key actors in Nigeria's political landscape, including Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Adamu Garba, Femi Fani-Kayode, Adams Oshiomhole, Nasir El-Rufai, among many others.
Olatunji is a 2023 fellow of ICIR and a 2018 fellow of the United Action for Change (UAC). He graduated from the prestigious University of Ibadan (UI) in 2021, where he bagged a Bachelor of Education degree (B.Ed) in Educational Management- Political Science.
Valeria Ogide
Fact-Checker, Video Editor
Valeria Ogide is a communication expert and social media manager at the Centre for Democracy and Development. With a passion for writing and content planning, she plays a pivotal role in monitoring emerging tech trends to enhance content outputs and communication strategies.
Valeria excels in creating, editing, and posting engaging content and videos that resonate with diverse audiences.
Additionally, she monitors trends and tracks activities that could boost audience engagement. Beyond her professional endeavours, her interests extend to creative writing, social justice, and advocacy for gender equality and women's rights. She is a graduate of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), holding a BA in Mass Communication.
Ambrose Hart
Fact-Checker, Graphics Designer
Hart Ambrose Onoboh is a Fact-checker and a graphics designer at the Centre for Democracy & Development.
His work cut across factchecks, elections and governance, managing the designs and communications for all projects handled by the Organization
He is a graphics designer and has a B.Sc in Industrial physics from the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi, Benue state. He has a diploma in computer hardware installations and maintenance, a certified social media marketer.
Peter Yohanna
Fact-Checker
Peter is a young, emerging professional exploring opportunities in the development sector. He is a Political Scientist interested in research and teaching on development challenges in the global south, specifically focusing on issues around climate change and conflict, policing, terrorism,
environmental politics, and sustainability. He is also interested in issues of democracy and human rights. He is skilled in implementing and monitoring developmental projects, Research, Data Analysis, and Fact Check.
His interest spans across issues of gender, governance, and peace-building.