By Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition.
Ahead of Saturday’s Edo State Governorship Election, the coalition’s preliminary analysis has shown a growing trend of misinformation and disinformation online and offline as voters go to the poll in the state.
Our team of journalists, researchers, fact-checkers, social media monitors, editors, and OSINT experts drawn from the coalition partners, are working from the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition’s (NFC) Election Situation Rooms located in Abuja and Lagos, to debunk election-related misinformation and disinformation content targeted at causing voter apathy, inciting violence or influencing the outcome of election in Edo State.
READ: Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition launches situation rooms for Edo election, warns against misinformation
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Here are the fact-checks:
Claim 1
CLAIM: The African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Udoh Oberaifo, claimed that the approved Edo budget for 2024 is N325 billion.
THE FINDINGS: According to the official document published by the Edo State Government on March 25, 2023, the total approved budget for 2024 was N342.8 billion.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCE: Edo State Government FY 2024 Approved Budget (www.edostate.gov.ng)
Claim 2
CLAIM: Azemhe Azena, the Edo governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) said only about 200 doctors were employed by the Edo State government to a population of 5 million.
THE FINDINGS: In April 2023, the Edo State Government announced plans to recruit 700 healthcare practitioners, including medical doctors, to strengthen its primary healthcare system. However, the number of doctors to be recruited was unspecified. According to 2022 data obtained from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) published by The Cable Index, there are 1,777 medical doctors in Edo State.
VERDICT: INSUFFICIENT PROOF
SOURCES: Edo State Government Website, The Cable Index
Claim 3
CLAIM: Isaiah Osifo, the Edo gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) said the unemployment rate in Edo State is a little over 20%.
THE FINDINGS: The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for Q4 2020 showed that the unemployment rate in Edo is 49.02% while the underemployment rate stood at 15.86%. Recent data available has no breakdown for Nigerian States.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCE: National Bureau of Statistics
Claim 4
CLAIM: The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, claimed that President Bola Tinubu did not sign a peace accord when he was a presidential candidate in 2023. He disclosed this while speaking at the 2024 Edo Election Security Townhall organised by Channels TV on Sept 15.
THE FINDINGS: Checks by the NFC show that two peace accords were signed by presidential candidates to prevent violence during Nigeria’s 2023 general election. Tinubu was absent at the first one organised by the National Peace Committee held on September 29, 2022. He was, however, represented by his vice, Kashim Shettima.
However, Tinubu was present at the signing of the second pact held on February 23, 2023.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCES: TheCable, The Punch
Claim 5
CLAIM: Ada Obowo, an X user, shares a viral video claiming that Edo women resisted Nigerian police officers from arresting a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Ikpoba-Okha Ward 2 ahead of Saturday’s election in Edo State.
THE FINDINGS: Checks by the NFC using a Google Reverse Image tool reveal an earlier version of the video posted on X on Sept. 17, 2024. Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Nigerian Police spokesman, remarked under the post that the policemen in the video were on official duty. His comment was, however, not connected to the apprehension of a PDP leader as claimed.
According to Adejobi, the police officers are IRT operatives who are investigating the killing of a policeman at the Benin Airport in July 2024. “We have secured a warrant of arrest on him. The men eventually left him when the place became crowdy,” says Adejobi.
VERDICT: MISLEADING
SOURCE: Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Nigeria Police Force spox.
Claim 6
CLAIM: An X user, @idofoi posted a video purportedly showing Tinubu asking Edo voters to reject Obaseki in Saturday’s Edo gubernatorial poll.
THE FINDINGS: A Google Reverse Image search conducted on the keyframes obtained from the video shows that the footage has been online since September 15, 2020 during the last gubernatorial election in Edo state. An earlier version of the video originally posted by TVC shows Tinubu addressing residents of Edo State urging them not to vote for Obaseki, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate at the time.
VERDICT: MISLEADING
SOURCE: TVC News
READ NIGERIA’S 2023 GENERAL ELECTION LIVE-CHECKS BELOW:
LIVE-CHECK: Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections
LIVE-CHECK: Results from Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential, National Assembly elections trickle in
LIVE-CHECK: Claims about results of Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential, NASS elections circulate online
LIVE-CHECK: Nigeria’s 2023 Governorship and State Assembly Elections
LIVE-CHECK: Collation of Votes for Nigeria’s 2023 Governorship and State Assembly Elections ongoing (UPDATED)
*This fact-check report was jointly researched and written by members of the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition (NFC): Nurudeen Akewushola, Salako Emmanuel, Fatimah Quadri (FactCheckHub); Elizabeth Ogunbamowo, Cole Praise, Lateef Sanni, Lademi Aborisade, Philip Anjorin, Silas Jonathan, Sunday Awosoro, Mohammed Taoheed, Amarachi Onwuzulike, Asiat Jimoh (Dubawa); Catherine Adeniyi, Motunrayo Joel, Allwell Okpi, Adelola Semilore, Denzel Amobi, Muktar Balogun (Africa Check); Caleb Ijioma, Precious Ewuji, Agbelusi Samuel (RoundCheck); Orji Ruth (NatureFacts); Ayodele Oluwafemi, Claire Mom (The Cable); Faruk Shuaibu (Daily Trust); Raji Olatunji, Ahmad Aluko (CDD); Kamal Idress (WikkiTimes); Hannah Ajakaiye, Olayinka Oladokun, Efemena Ighofose (FactsMatterNG); Pascal Ibe and Blessing Otoibhi (ICIR); and Rosemary Ajayi (Digital Africa Research Lab).
It was edited and approved for publication by Kemi Busari, Lois Ugbede (Dubawa), David Ajikobi (Africa Check), Ajibola Amzat (CCIJ), and Opeyemi Kehinde (FactCheckHub) and Bamas Victoria (ICIR).
The post 2024 Edo Election: ‘Fake news’ trends ahead of Saturday’s poll appeared first on FactCheckHub.
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