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The Nigerian Senate, also known as the Red Chamber, on July 19, resolved to remove age limits for jobseekers. If the executive agrees to this, job adverts in Nigeria will be mandated by law to no longer include age requirements. Employers will also not be allowed to screen job seekers based on age.
Online, there have been mixed reactions to this news. Some have hailed the move for removing barriers to employment, while others say it’s a smokescreen that shies away from addressing the root causes of unemployment.
Background
At the plenary on Wednesday, the Senate adopted a motion. It had the title “Age Requirement Pre-condition for Employment in Nigeria, Urgent Need for Intervention.” Abba Moro, a PDP senator from Benue South, sponsored this motion.
Moro argued that age limits were discriminatory and violated Chapter 4, Section 42(2) of the Nigerian Constitution. The section touches on the right to freedom from discrimination.
Moro also cited the International Labour Organisation (ILO), a UN agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice. He argued that economic discrimination fell short of the ILO’s standards.
In Moro’s words, it was pathetic “that a graduate in Nigeria who could not get a job upon graduation and decided to back to school with the hope that a higher qualification, vis-a-vis a second or Masters Degree, could give him a better employment opportunity is thrown into a career paradox when upon completion of his Master’s Degree he comes out to find that he is now above the age of employment and therefore not employable by the sole reason of his age.”
He added, “It is ironical that a graduate in this country can serve in the National Youth Service Corps programme at age 30 but cannot be gainfully employed after that on the fact that he/ she is now above 30 years, a situation that is a flagrant breach of his fundamental rights.”
Moro noted that this discrimination created a breeding ground for age fraud within the Nigerian Civil Service and beyond.
What else should you know?
The Senate is asking the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Productivity, and other related agencies to dissuade private employers from turning away people based on age. It also wants the ministry to develop policies that grant equal access and treatment in the workplace.
All of this remains tentative. But if it passes into law, older Nigerians of employable age might heave a sigh—even if temporary—of relief.
On July 7, multiplereports claimed that Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke, nominated two of his family members to commissioner positions. The reposts claimed that Adeleke nominated his daughter, Adenike Adeleke, and his uncle, Moruf Adeleke.
On Wait First, we sort claims into three categories. If it’s true, it gets a fresh banana rating from us. A false claim is burnt dodo, and a misleading claim is cold zobo.
So, is this claim valid? Did Adeleke nominate his daughter and uncle as commissioners?
[Ademola Adeleke / Daily Post]
Background
On July 7, the Osun State House of Assembly confirmed the list of 25 commissioner-nominees forwarded to the House for screening and confirmation by Governor Adeleke.
Among the names that made the list were Adenike Adeleke and Moruf Adeleke. The two share the same surname as the governor. Following the announcement, there were reactions on social media criticising the governor for presumably appointing his relatives into government. Some online news platforms also ran with this news.
Our partners, FactCheckElections, noted that “social media users reacting to the claim viewed the purported appointment as a ‘double standard/nepotism’ and inappropriate in government.”
Verification
FactCheckElections looked into the claim. Here’s what they found:
“The spokesperson to the state governor, Olawale Rasheed, has debunked the viral claim that his principal nominated his daughter and uncle for commissioner.
Contrary to the narratives making the rounds that two of the commissioner-nominees are Adeleke’s daughter and uncle, Rasheed told the media that the nominees are not the governor’s family.
They are ‘bonafide indigenes of Osogbo Land’, he said.
He added: Prof Adeleke was born in Ilesa and hails from Osogbo, the state capital. Mrs Adeleke is the daughter of Chief Omidiran of Osogbo Land and wife of the late Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke.”
FactCheckElections reports that the governor is from the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State.
Verdict
The claim that Governor Ademola Adeleke nominated his relatives to commissioner positions is misleading and, therefore, cold zobo.
The confusion stems from the fact that they share the same surname. However, it has now been confirmed that they are not from the same bloodline as the governor.
A viral video shared on different platforms, including Twitter and WhatsApp, claims that gunmen were shooting in a market in Ebonyi on July 4, 2023. In the clip’s background, a male voice says, “Destroy them, destroy them, sit at home. Nnamdi Kanu must be released.”
On Wait First, we sort claims into three categories. If it’s true, it gets a fresh banana rating from us. A false claim is burnt dodo, and a misleading claim is cold zobo.
So is this video true, or is it doctored?
Background
Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of the separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He has, however, been in the custody of the Department of State Services since his re-arrest in June 2021. He was initially captured in October 2015 but escaped. His current incarceration is happening despite a court order mandating his release.
According to fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), the IPOB first issued a sit-at-home order in August 2021. The order grinds all economic activity to a halt in the southeastern part of Nigeria. According to the IPOB, it will be held every Monday until Nnamdi Kanu is released. The order was revised to only occur on days when Kanu was due in court.
CDD reports, “On June 14 2023, Finland-based Simon Ekpa, leader of Autopilot (a faction of IPOB), issued a statement which declared a five-day sit-at-home order in the southeastern part of Nigeria. Ekpa stated that the order would hold from 3 to 5 July and continue from 7 to 10 July.”
The CDD fact-checked the video. Here’s what they found:
“The CDD War Room can confirm that the video emanated from Abakaliki, Ebonyi state. The video was not doctored, and investigations proved that it first surfaced online on July 4, 2023.
Credible media agencies like Premium Times and Vanguard News have reported that the incident did occur at the Ishieke market in Ebonyi state.
However, it’s not certain whether the gunmen are members of IPOB or otherwise.
IPOB is yet to claim responsibility or deny the activities of the gunmen.”
Verdict
The claim that gunmen attacked and shot at a marketplace in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, on July 4, 2023, is true and, therefore, fresh banana. However, IPOB is yet to claim responsibility for it.
The use of social media has come with benefits and challenges. Combined with the explosive rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) over the last few years, it’s getting increasingly difficult to tell what is real from what is fake. The phrase “seeing is believing” is being tested now more than ever. The things we see and hear can now be digitally altered, thanks to technologies like Midjourney and Deep Fakes.
For instance, there’s a YouTube channel dedicated to telling jokes using AI-generated voices and the visuals of former US presidents. For the uninitiated, it looks genuine. See this short clip, for example.
In another one, a photo of the Pope in a white hoodie took Twitter by storm. It was later found to be AI-generated.
While it may seem harmless fun to some, fake images can have grave consequences. In May, a falsified photo of an explosion near the US Pentagon spooked financial markets and caused US stocks to drop in what some consider the first instance of an AI-generated image moving the market.
In Nigeria, leading up to the elections, fake images of presidential candidates and their allies made the rounds. Many of these made their way to WhatsApp groups and stoked ethnic sentiments that influenced how people voted.
For this week’s episode of Wait First, we look at ways to identify fake photos and how to protect yourself from sharing fake news.
How to spot fake photos online
Fact-checkers, Dubawa made a video identifying five ways to spot fake images. In summary:
Check the source. Look for the source of the photo. If it’s from a reputable organisation or a known photographer, it’s more likely to be authentic.
Look for inconsistencies. Check for photo inconsistencies, such as mismatched shadows, unnatural lighting, or distorted proportions.
Check the metadata. Most digital photos contain metadata that includes information such as the date, time, and location of the photo. Check this information to see if it matches the context of the photo.
Use Reverse Image Search. Use a reverse image search engine like Google Images, Tineye, or Yandex to see if the photo has been used elsewhere on the internet. If it has been used in multiple contexts, it may be fake.
Consult experts. Consult with forensic analysts, photojournalists, or digital forensic experts if you’re still unsure about the image’s authenticity.
What else should you know?
Besides the above points, Deutsche Welle (DW), the news agency, has also provided some tips to help shield you from falling victim to fake images.
Zoom in and look carefully.
Watch out for typical AI errors. AI-generated images tend to have one too many fingers. In the example of the Pope above, did you notice that his left fingers were unusually long and that there were only four of them? Also, look out for too many teeth or weird glass frames. The Random Face Generator is an AI tool that generates photos of people who don’t exist.
Check for unusual smoothing. If the hair or skin looks exceptionally flawless, there’s a good chance it’s fake.
Examine the background. Sometimes, the backgrounds of AI images tend to be blurred or have distorted objects.
If you encounter an image on Twitter whose authenticity you’re unsure of, you can tag the handle @hoaxeye. It does reverse image searches and can check if an image is real or AI-generated.
[Midjourney image of Will Smith. Note the blurry background]
Despite these tips, technology is constantly advancing, and AI is adapting to overcome its flaws. Ultimately, the best bet is to remain sceptical and apply common sense. Don’t be too eager to share a photo if it’s not verified. When in doubt, leave it out.
The former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, is in the news. Social media users have been critiquing his comments during the week regarding his state’s governorship election. Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a tightly fought election. El-Rufai spoke about his party leveraging Islamic religious sentiments to give Sani victory at the polls.
El-Rufai was addressing Muslim clerics in Kaduna at an event where he was handing over to Sani. The speech, which was in Hausa, has been transcribed by Premium Times. Here’s the transcript below:
Transcript
“Why did I pick Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe as my deputy in 2019? First, I calculated that most of those, not Muslims, don’t vote for our party. Most of them. So, why should I give them the deputy (governor) position? I did my calculation, and I knew we could win the election without giving them (the position of deputy governor). That’s first. That’s a purely political issue. It’s politics. You want to win an election and seek people to vote for you. We have observed that since we started practising democracy, we know places we used to win elections and those places we don’t. We’ve done that calculation politically. That’s the political point of it.
Secondly, what we wanted to prove to people, and thank God in the last four years, we’ve vindicated ourselves and proved that a government that has a Muslim as governor, a Muslim as deputy governor, a Muslim as SSG (secretary of state government), a Muslim as chief of staff, a Muslim as finance commissioner, we’ll not cheat Christians in Kaduna State. And everywhere we go, we tell them, Yes, that’s it; the top government hierarchy in Kaduna State are Muslims, but can any Christian in Kaduna prove that we’ve oppressed them? Is there any district that we didn’t renovate schools? Is there any district we didn’t construct a hospital? Anywhere that we didn’t build roads? Is there anywhere we didn’t help farmers, whether they voted for us? We’ve given everyone their entitlements.
Of course, Kubau (Local Government Area) voted for us the most (in Northern Kaduna), so I’ll add something to Kubau because they voted for us. What I’ll give Jaba, I’ll increase it for Kubau because Jaba didn’t vote for us. But we’ve given them their entitlements.
You, Imams and Ulamas, taught us that leadership in Islam is all about justice. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions lived with those that were not Muslims, including Jews, Christians and even pagans, but they addressed him as El-Amin (trusted one) because he treated them with fairness. Caliphs like Abubakar, Umar, Usman, and Ali did justice to those who were not Muslims. Nobody can say he was oppressed for not being a Muslim. But you’ll prefer the ones who support you. But don’t oppress any.
I always tell them. During this campaign season, they said “this and that,” and I replied ‘Yes, we’re looking for those who can deliver. We’re not looking at your religion. Of course, we consider the religious aspect, but I can’t say that. But what I am saying is, who is being oppressed? Open up and tell us if this government has treated you unjustly. No answer. Well, no one can say he is used to being engaged in criminal activities, used to being idle, but we stopped that. Or you were used to blocking the road, and we said if you do it again, this will be the consequences, and you know we can do it.
That’s what we’ve done for four years, myself and my team. And that’s what we still did, and Senator Uba Sani and Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe still won their election (as governor and deputy) even with the religious gang up against us. You, the Imams and Ulamas here, were the ones who did the work, not even the politicians, because the politicians even betrayed us. And he, Senator Uba Sani, knows this. We know it. We’re aware of those who collected money on election day but switched off their phones, slept off and didn’t even bother to come out for the election. But we know the First Aid group members that served as polling agents.
Those we paid to protect the votes didn’t do so, but the first aid group members did. And we’re grateful for that, and may God reward you and how you dedicated yourself and supported us. In the name of God, I beg you to support Senator Uba Sani when he finishes his first four years. Re-elect him into office. Then we can continue to prove to people that Islamic leadership doesn’t discriminate but doesn’t condone deliberate mocking. It doesn’t condone indignity. That’s the only thing we want to prove, and we’ve started, but this is not the end; we’ll have to do it for at least twenty years, which will make everyone understand.
After Uba finishes his tenure and gets re-elected, that’ll be sixteen, right? (El Rufai served two terms of eight years as governor). Then we’ll have another tenure which will make it 24 years. That is when everyone will understand and say, ‘Okay, we understand, we know our status, and we know the Muslims will not oppress us.’ That’s it. And you’ll see that there will be peace. I swear to God, this has been our plan from the first day we started APC in the state, and God has been helping us with your prayers and commitment. We’re on the right path. May God bless you all.”
On June 1, 2023, Daily Trust newspaper exclusively reported with the headline “CBN Devalues Naira To 630/$1”. On its Twitter page, the news has received over 426k views at the time of writing. It has also been retweeted 493 times.
On Wait First, we divide claims into three categories. A valid claim is a fresh banana. A false claim is a burnt dodo. And a misleading claim is cold zobo.
So, how valid is this claim?
Background
According to the news report by Daily Trust, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) devalued the naira from ₦461.6 to ₦631 to the dollar. It then sold at the new rate in the “Importers and Exporters (I&E)” window on May 31.
Nigeria currently runs a multiple exchange rate system. The CBN provides its rates, and the parallel market, commonly known as the black market, provides another. The gulf between the two creates arbitrage. This is a situation where people trade in currencies by taking advantage of differing prices for the same currency.
As of May 31, the CBN’s rate was ₦461.26 to the dollar.
Not long after the news report was released, the CBN released a screenshot describing it as “fake news”.
The CBN then followed up with a statement signed by its acting director of corporate communications, Isa AbdulMumin. It read:
“The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to a news report by Daily Trust Newspaper of June 1, 2023, titled ‘CBN Devalues Naira To 630/$1’.
We wish to state categorically that this news report, which in the imagination of the newspaper is exclusive, is replete with outright FALSEHOODS and destabilising innuendos, reflecting potentially willful ignorance of the said medium as to the workings of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.
For the avoidance of doubt, the exchange rate at the Investors’ and Exporters’ (I&E) window traded this morning (June 1, 2023) at ₦465/$ and has been stable around this rate for a while.
The public is hereby advised to ignore this news report by Daily Trust in its entirety, as it is speculative and calculated at causing panic in the market.
Media practitioners are advised to verify their facts from the Central Bank of Nigeria before publishing in order not to misinform the public.”
Verdict
The CBN has come out to state that the claim by Daily Trust is emphatically false. Therefore this news is nothing but burnt dodo.
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On May 8, 2023, a Twitter user with the handle @GoziconC claimed that the lawyers defending Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the secessionist group the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) now in custody, are the same as those of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the ongoing presidential tribunal proceedings.
The user followed up his claim with a photo of Obi in conversation with some lawyers in court. As of the time of writing, the tweet has been viewed over 412k times.
A self-acclaimed leader of the IPOB, Simon Ekpa, also tweeted on May 9, 2023, that Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who is Nnamdi Kanu’s counsel and appears in the photo above, is part of Obi’s legal team.
11th May is the court of MNK, Ozekhome is part of @PeterObi legal team, and Obi’s election tribunal is on the same date 11th May. I Hope Ejiofor will not be left alone to mess the case up again. I have ask this question internally and i am waiting for update.
On Wait First, we divide claims into three categories. A valid claim is a fresh banana. A false claim is burnt dodo. And a misleading claim is cold zobo.
Fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) examined this claim. Here’s what they found:
In January 2022, following his apprehension by the Nigerian government, Nnamdi Kanu appointed Mike Ozekhome as his lead counsel in his case against the FG. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, one of Kanu’s lawyers, also confirmed this.
Is Mike Ozekhome representing Peter Obi at the Election Tribunal?
“The election petition prepared by Obi’s legal team includes a list of the legal practitioners representing the petitioner. Mike Ozekhome’s name does not appear on the list.
“We, however, found Ozekhome to be among the legal team of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was inaugurated in March 2023. The team included his name in the petition that was submitted.
“Further investigation revealed that Ozekhome and Atiku have had a clientele relationship since 2017. He is also currently representing the latter in the alleged money laundering case filed by Festus Keyamo.
On May 8, 2023, a Twitter user with the handle @Gen_Buhar claimed that Peter Obi’s drug petition against Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been dismissed. This tweet has been viewed over 74,000 times at the time of writing.
On Wait First, we divide claims into three categories. A valid claim is a fresh banana. A false claim is a burnt dodo. And a misleading claim is a cold zobo.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023. INEC declared BAT the winner with 8,794,726 votes. However, several political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Action Alliance (AA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Peoples Party (APP), filed petitions challenging the election results.
The pre-hearing of the presidential tribunal, which started on May 8, 2023, will address these petitions. Peter Obi filed a joint petition with his party raising five “prayers” against the declared winner, BAT, his running mate, the APC, and INEC.
One of the petitions Obi and his party filed focuses on BAT’s eligibility in the concluded presidential election. Obi alleges that BAT was linked to drug trafficking by a US court. This then led to his forfeiture of $460,000 to the American government. He argues that, as a result, BAT is not qualified to contest the Nigerian presidency.
This fact check aims to see if the claim that a court has dismissed the drug petition is valid.
Verification
We looked into this claim with support from our partners, FactCheck Elections. Here’s what they found:
“FactCheckElections findings revealed that the presidential elections tribunal commenced its pre-hearing on May 8, 2023, and made a sitting on the petition filed by Peter Obi and the Labour Party challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
Channels reported that the Justice Tsamani-led panel announced it would commence its pre-hearing session with three petitions. They are the petitions by Action Alliance (AA) marked: CA/PEPC/01/2023; Action Peoples Party (APP) marked: CA/PEPC/02/2023 and Peter Obi & Labour Party (LP) marked: CA/PEPC/03/2023.
The Guardian reported the Tribunal on Monday dismissed the petition by the AA challenging the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election after the AA withdrew its petition at the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja, prompting the dismissal. According to SaharaReporters, AA gave no reason for the withdrawal.
However, Premium Times, in its timed live update at the inaugural sitting, did not report the dismissal of any of Peter Obi’s petitions. The court announced an adjournment of the case till May 10, 2023. This was reported at around 1:00 p.m. on May 8, 2023.
No reputable news or media platform reported the news of the dismissal of any of Peter Obi’s petitions.”
The case has been again adjourned to May 17, 2023, “to enable parties to harmonise their processes.”
Verdict
The claim that Peter Obi’s drug petition against BAT has been dismissed is false and, therefore, burnt dodo. Hearings on the matter will resume on May 17, 2023.
On May 3, 2023, Twitter user @yeankhar claimed the House [of Representatives] (HOR) was passing a Bill to criminalise protests. The tweet has been viewed over 134k times at the time of writing.
On Wait First, we divide claims into three categories. A valid claim is fresh banana. A false claim is burnt dodo. And a misleading claim is cold zobo.
So, how valid is this claim?
Verification
We looked into news reports to see if any Bills banning protests had recently been passed. There were none. The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), an NGO that promotes civic participation by, among other ways, tracking Bills being read at the National Assembly, had no report on this Bill. We also looked at the Twitter handle of the HOR. It has no record of this Bill.
We were, however, able to identify a news report by The Guardian from July 2021. It mentioned a Bill that claimed to propose a five-year jail term for unlawful protesters. This Bill, which generated controversy, was sponsored by Emeka Chinedu, representing Ahiazu Mbaise and Ehinihitte Mbaise Federal Constituency of Imo state. In an interview with Punch, Chinedu clarified that his sponsored Bill only condemned mob action, not protesters.
His words
“The caption of the Bill that went viral was never my intent or opinion. Neither was it an embodiment of the Bill I sponsored that passed the first reading on the floor of the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Hence, a clear case of misunderstanding, misconception and misrepresentation of the facts.
“As a representative of the people, whose political idealogy is rooted in democratic tenets, I can never be a party to a system that seeks to stifle or cripple dissenting voices whose right to freedom of assembly, expression and protest is guaranteed by the combined effort of section 39 and 40 of 1999 Constitution as amended, as well as Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Right to assemble freely.
“While I urge Nigerians to imbibe the culture of reading beyond newspaper captions to comprehend the body of a message, it is imperative to put the record straight to douse tension and allay the concerns of my teeming adherents.
“The Criminal Code Amendment Bill, 2021, did not discuss criminalising protests or protesters in Nigeria. Rather, it is a Bill that proactively seeks to preserve life and protect the killing of the innocent through mob action, known as ‘jungle justice’ in our local parlance.”
Verdict
The tweet about a Bill to criminalise protests is based on events that happened in 2021 that have been debunked. The poster presented it as new information that no available evidence can support. The claim is, therefore, misleading and is cold zobo.
Did Peter Obi Pay a Visit to BAT, Gbaja, Sanwo and Dangote?
On April 28, 2023, a Twitter user @donortez shared a photo that appeared to show the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in company with the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), businessman Aliko Dangote, Speaker of the HOR, Femi Gbajabiamila and Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The poster claimed that the meeting took place after Jumat, which refers to the prayers by Muslims on Friday. This tweet which was still up at the time of writing, has been viewed over 95,000 times.
“The original photograph featured Aliko Dangote and BAT, but not Peter Obi. The photograph was taken during a previous meeting between the two men, which has been misrepresented by the person who manipulated the image.
“No credible evidence supports the claim that Peter Obi visited BAT recently. No major news outlet or credible source has reported such a meeting, and no photographic or video evidence has been produced to support the claim.
“Upon closer examination, it is clear that the photograph has been manipulated. The image of Peter Obi has been superimposed onto the photograph, creating the false impression that he was present at the meeting. This manipulation is common on social media, where users frequently create and share false or misleading images to gain attention or spread false information.”
Verdict
No evidence exists of any such meeting taking place between Obi and BAT. The photo has been dismissed as a doctored one. Therefore this is burnt dodo and should be treated as false.
On April 19, 2023, a Twitter user with the handle @cbngov_akin1 claimed that the poverty rate increased while Peter Obi was governor of Anambra state. The tweet has garnered over 91,000 views as of the time of filing this report.
On Wait First, we divide claims into three categories. A valid claim is fresh banana. A misleading claim is cold zobo, while an outrightly false claim is burnt dodo.
So, how valid is this claim?
Some background
[Peter Obi / Africa Report]
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, had a staggered time in office as governor of Anambra state. In 2003, he contested for governor under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Chris Ngige was declared the winner, but in a lengthy court battle, the victory was overturned at the Supreme Court. Obi was reinstated as the election winner and assumed office in March 2006.
Obi was impeached in November 2006 and reclaimed his mandate following another court ruling. He returned to office in February 2007. He was removed again after the 2007 election but was reinstated by the Supreme Court. Obi won reelection and served as a two-term governor from March 2006 to March 2014.
Obi’s performance as governor has come under intense scrutiny since he declared his intention to run for president, particularly as his campaign promises hinged on combatting poverty. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced him third in the presidential election with 6,101,533 votes.
Poverty is more than just a number. It’s a complex issue that affects many aspects of a person’s life. OECD data shows that poverty rates are measured by income levels falling below the poverty line. But poverty is not a one-dimensional problem that can be summed up with a single indicator. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is the go-to agency in Nigeria for collecting, analysing, and disseminating crucial statistical information that helps understand the socioeconomic realities of the country’s citizens.
“Findings by FactCheckElections revealed the (NBS) National Poverty Rates For Nigeria: 2003-04 (Revised) and 2009-10 (Abridged Report). The report showed that Anambra had 41.4% state-level headcount per capita poverty measure in 2003-04 and 53.7% in 2009-10.
“The National Poverty Rates For Nigeria: 2003-04 (Revised) And 2009-10 (Abridged Report) capture poverty rates across Nigeria with the Absolute Poverty Approach (using a per capita approach of assigning 3000 calories requirement for an adult).
[Source: NBS]
“FactcheckElection can find no official data report on the poverty rate between 2011 – 2018. Aside from forecasts and predictions, there’s no absolute poverty study in those years. According to a reply tweet by Dr Yemi Kale (former statistician general of Nigeria), ‘NBS has not conducted any absolute poverty study since 2009’.
So what’s the status of the claim? Based on data from the (NBS), Anambra’s state-level headcount per capita poverty increased from 41.4% in 2003-04 to 53.7% in 2009-10. Peter Obi was governor between 2006 and 2014. So the claim is partly true, and we give it a banana rating. However, no official data shows the poverty rate when he left office in 2014.
On October 14, 2022, Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun, said about 36 investment portfolios worth over $1 billion came into the state.
He mentioned this at the inauguration of the Ogun State Investment and Facilitation Agency (OGUNINVEST).
“We have continued to reap bountiful harvests from our commitment as existing investments are thriving, and new investments are being attracted. As of today, we’ve been able to attract 36 new investments into Ogun State worth over a billion United States dollars and generated an estimated 40,000 jobs since the inception of OGUNINVEST,” he said.
This claim came up again leading up to the Ogun State governorship election. The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) referenced it without any evidence to back it up. This begs the obvious question:
Is Abiodun’s claim valid?
[Dapo Abiodun / PM News]
Verifying the claim
Our partners, Fact CheckElections, looked into this claim. Here’s what they found:
“The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released ‘Nigeria’s Capital Importation’ data for the four quarters of 2022. Ogun State and twenty-six others did not receive foreign investment in 2022.
“Foreign investments in the country fell by 20.47 per cent ($1.37bn) from $6.7bn in 2021 to $5.33bn in 2022. Nigeria’s capital importation plunged to $1.06bn in Q4 2022 — down by 8.53%.
“According to the NBS, only five out of the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) attracted capital investments in Q4 2022.
“For 2022, the report cumulatively showed that only Lagos and Abuja had investments of $billion at 3.61 and 1.63, respectively. Others were in the millions. Ogun had no investment in 2022, according to the NBS.”
In 2022, the state claimed to have signed an MOU worth $400 million. However, Statisense showed that Ogun attracted only a $30.5m investment in four years (2019-2022).” This is far from $1bn as claimed.
A civic organisation, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), has ranked Ogun State 28th with a score of 18 per cent on the level of transparency and accountability operational in managing public funds and implementing public policies in the State.
Verdict
Abiodun’s claim that Ogun state attracted $1bn in investments during his first term in office is burnt dodo. There’s no evidence to support this claim.
Join us on Twitter on April 25 at 6 p.m. to discuss Nigeria’s worrying rise as a cocaine trafficking hub.
On April 13, 2023, Adamu Garba, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), tweeted an image of the Chair of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, with the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He claimed that the APC had helped secure Obi’s release from detention in the UK after travelling with fake documents.
On Wait First, we divide claims into three categories. A valid claim is fresh banana. A false claim is burnt dodo, and a misleading claim is cold zobo. So what’s the status of this claim?
According to a report by Premium Times, Obi was detained in London by UK immigration officials for alleged impersonation. A statement by the Head Obi-Datti Media, Diran Onifade, confirmed that Obi was harassed by London immigration officials and placed in detention. Onifade said this was where Obi spent the Easter holidays.
“The LP presidential candidate arrived at the Heathrow Airport in London from Nigeria on Good Friday, April 7, 2023. He joined the queue for the necessary Airport protocols when immigration officials accosted him. They handed him a detention note and told him to step aside,” Onifade said.
Onifade said the offence means an impersonator could commit weighty crimes that would cause people to point fingers at Obi, causing embarrassment.
In his reaction to a report that the UK government apologised to Obi over the detention, Obi said he did not receive any letter of apology from the British government.
Verification
To verify Adamu’s claim, our partners, FactCheckElections, came across a report by LEADERSHIP . In the report, the federal government of Nigeria denied news that it intervened in Obi’s detention ordeal.
The spokesperson of NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the image attached to the tweet is a “stunt.”
He added that the NiDCOM boss, Dabiri-Erewa, was not in the UK and not in a position to secure the release of any Nigerian suspected to be under UK interrogation
“Our attention has been called to the above social media stunt, which has gone viral. Aunty Abike Dabiri-Erewa is NOT in the UK and not in a position to secure the release of any Nigerian suspected to be under UK interrogation. So, members of the public should disregard the information in its entirety,” Balogun said.
Verdict
Adamu’s claim is false and therefore burnt dodo. Avoid the spread of misinformation, as it has the grave potential to cause public panic and harm.
On March 19, 2023, Nigerian Twitter was buzzing with congratulatory messages for Aishatu Binanu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Adamawa state, on her victory at the polls held on March 18, 2023.
The mood was especially jubilant as she was said to be Nigeria’s first elected female governor. The outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, and other notable Twitter users like Aloy Chife and J.J Omojuwa congratulated her .
The celebrations turned out to be premature. There were no credible news reports that announced the victory, and neither had the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Although Binani had won seven local governments out of 18 INEC had announced, she was still trailing behind the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who had won 11. The lead margin was over 16,000, with three LGs still to go. So how, despite these, was the claim of Binani’s victory so easily believed?
The fact check agency, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa), looked into the origin of the claim. Here’s what they found.
A parody account spreads misinformation
A parody account named @Binani4Governor on Twitter was the originator of this claim.
The handle had posted results purported to be from Adamawa at 5:39 p.m. on Sunday, March 19, with the caption, “Final results.” But CDD Election War Room was informed by a journalist that results collation at the state collation centre started at about 12:16 p.m. at the state capital, Yola.
A few minutes past 2 p.m., Fintiri had secured six LGAs, while Binani had four LGAs. Aliyu Hong, the state collating officer for the PDP, announced at the collation centre that thugs snatched the result sheet while INEC officials were collating election results from the wards in Fufore LGA of Adamawa. Regardless, at 6:13 pm, the handle posted a graphic showing Binani with the inscription, “Madam Governor”. But as of 7 p.m., when the collation officer announced another break, 18 of 21 LGAs had been reported.
Binani had 329,770 votes, while Finitri was in the lead with 346,103 votes. This was when the claim began to go viral on social media, with the “Madam governor” graphic making the rounds.
The aftermath
On Monday, March 20, INEC declared the state guber poll inconclusive, with results from one local government, Fufore, yet to be collated as thugs had reportedly snatched the results sheet of the LGA.
INEC has scheduled April 15 for a supplementary election in the affected LGA. Contrary to earlier claims, Binani has not won the Adamawa guber election. Any such claim is misleading and, therefore, cold zobo.
In Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2022, only INEC has the power to declare a winner at the federal and state levels. Protect yourself from fake news. Corroborate claims by checking out trusted news sources or from INEC itself.
On February 16, 2023, Nigerians were all over the place regarding a claim made by the House of Representatives Majority Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhassan Doguwa.
Doguwa, speaking after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, addressed the issue of the scarcity of the new naira notes.
[Alhassan Doguwa, to President Muhammadu Buhari’s right. Channels TV]
He said, “A member of the House of Representatives is expected by law to have not more than ₦70 million to conduct his elections and whatever logistics and other things. ₦70 million cash, by law.”
On the Wait First flagship, we rate claims into three categories. We rate a valid claim as fresh banana. We rate a false claim as burnt dodo. A misleading claim is cold zobo.
What’s the status of this claim?
To answer that, let’s look at the Electoral Act 2022, which guides the conduct of elections in Nigeria.
The relevant section that pertains to campaign financing is Section 88, titled “Limitation on election expenses.” See the screenshot below:
The part that concerns us is subsection 4. “The maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a candidate in respect of Senatorial and House of Representatives seat shall not exceed ₦100,000,000 and ₦70,000,000 respectively.”
However, there’s nowhere in the Act that says a candidate must have “hard copy” cash to do this.
Verdict: The law provides a ₦70 million limit for campaign expenses related to House of Representatives positions, that is, from the commencement till the end of campaigns. However, Doguwa’s claim that it must be in cash is misleading. You’ll not find colder zobo anywhere else.
Did the Finnish government issue a letter to Simon Ekpa regarding the Nigerian elections?
A viral letter made the rounds recently on social media. It claimed to have come from the Finnish government. The letter targeted Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian secessionist based in Finland. Ekpa has links to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It said the Finnish government would charge him with terrorism if he didn’t cease a sit-at-home order in the South East on election day.
The fact checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa) looked into the letter. Here’s what they found:
“CDD War Room contacted the Finnish Embassy in Nigeria, and we were informed that the letter is not an official correspondence of the Finnish government.
“An official spokesperson of the Finnish government in Nigeria said the embassy has contacted Twitter to remove the letter from the micro-blogging platform.”
Verdict: Do you still need us to spell it out? Na burnt dodo. We hope you didn’t fall for it.
