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2023 Election: Did Obasanjo hire Russian lawyer ‘Natalia Veselnitskaya’ for Peter Obi?

Theophilus Adedokun
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2023 Election: Did Obasanjo hire Russian lawyer ‘Natalia Veselnitskaya’ for Peter Obi?

Several social media posts have claimed that former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has flown in a Russia-based lawyer to reclaim the mandate of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, at the presidential election tribunal.

“Obasanjo flies in World-Class Russian lawyer “Natalia Veselnitskaya” to defend Peter Obi ahead of Monday’s Presidential court case,” one of the tweets read.

“According to reports, she is the most dangerous lawyer in the whole world with an unbeatable record,” the tweet from the Tweep with the Twitter handle: @SpecialConvenant added.

It noted that Natalia Veselnitskaya is a close associate of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

“She has never lost a case before. She is the special adviser to President “Putin” and was the same lawyer woman that defeated America in a court case against heavy sanctions on Russia. According to reports, she doesn’t believe in adjournment, she stands for you once in court”, the tweet reads in part.

The tweet was shared on Friday, May 5, 2023.

 

CLAIM

Olusegun Obasanjo flies in a Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, to reclaim Peter Obi’s mandate.

Screenshot of the tweet with the claim.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

The ICIR had reported that the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal is scheduled to commence on Monday, May 8 with a pre-hearing session.

The election petition tribunal is organised to clarify the disputed declaration of All Progressives Congress (APC) flag-bearer Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s President-elect.

Also, The ICIR had earlier reported that INEC declared Tinubu the winner of the February 25 presidential poll with 8,794,726 votes.

Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), came third with 6,101,533 votes.

Abubakar had hired the services of 19 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to challenge the election’s result, while his counterpart Obi had secured the services of at least 20 SANs to challenge the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

Speaking to The FactCheckHub on Saturday, May 6, 2023, Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi said that Obasanjo neither employed nor invited the service of a Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya to reclaim Peter Obi’s mandate at the presidential election tribunal.

Akinyemi stressed that there is a need for Nigerians to question the credibility and authenticity of the report.

“It is a rumour that is unconfirmed, and it has got nothing to do with Obasanjo. Also, it is not from a credible medium,” he stated.

Further independent findings by The FactCheckHub revealed that no credible media platform published the report as claimed.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo invited Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer, to reclaim Peter Obi’s mandate at the presidential electoral tribunal is FALSE; Obasanjo’s media aide debunked the claim.

Viral photo does not show wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Fatimah Quadri
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Viral photo does not show wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

A claim that the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 that disappeared nine years ago has been found under an ocean with no human skeleton in it has surfaced online.

A Twitter user, Real MASH (@254_icon) , posted the claim in a tweet on May 2, 2023, alongside a photo of an airplane sunk in an ocean.

It has gained traction with over 36 million views, more than 17,000 retweets and over 143,000 likes as of May 6, 2023.

The tweet reads:

Malaysia Airplane MH370 that disappeared 9 years ago has been found under ocean with no human skeleton. The plane had 239 passengers on board.

 

CLAIM

Malaysian airline that disappeared nine years ago has been found.

Screenshot of the claim as retrieved from Twitter on May 6, 2023.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

The Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 was an international flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared nine years ago on 8th of March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to Beijing Capital International Airport in China.

However, a CNN Travel report published on July 22, 2022 with the same picture as seen in the claim above stated that the plane in the photo is an old Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar airplane which was sunk into the Red Sea in 2019 with the aim of creating an artificial reef to encourage marine life and was photographed by Brett Hoelzer.

Aerial view of the aircraft in the Red Sea. Source: CNN Travel.

In May 2018, USA Today reported that the search for the Malaysian aircraft had ended. By July 2018, the Malaysian government issued its final report on flight 370’s disappearance.

Further checks show that no credible media platform reported that the aircraft had been found since the time the claim resurfaced online.

Similarly, a fact-check published by India Today in May 2023 also corroborated The FactCheckHub’s findings.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the Malaysian aircraft MH370 has been found is FALSE; the airplane image in the tweeted claim is a Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar which was sunken for tourist attraction.

Virginia Etiaba is not the first female deputy governor in Nigeria

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Virginia Etiaba is not the first female deputy governor in Nigeria

ON May 1, 2023, a Twitter user, Adetutu Balogun (@Tutsy22) claimed that Virginia Etiaba, who served as Peter Obi’s deputy during his time as governor of Anambra state, is the first woman to hold the position of a deputy governor in Nigeria.

Adetutu made the claim (archived here) while responding to Shettima’s claim that Tinubu is the first to appoint a woman as a deputy governor — the claim which has been fact-checked earlier and found to be false by The FactCheckHub.

“If it was about Peter Obi, you will #FactCheck & post 100 times in one hour! Virgy Etiba who was PO’s deputy was the first female deputy in Nigeria. Ajoke Omotosh who was Chief Judge of Lagos State in 1995, she was the first female Chief Judge in Nigeria, & in West Africa!(Sic)” 

The tweet has garnered over 1,500 retweets, more than 2,900 likes and about 300,000 views as of May 6, 2023.

CLAIM

Virgy Etiba is the first female deputy governor in Nigeria.

Screenshot of Adetutu Balogun’s claim on Twitter.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Our checks show that a number of  women have held the position before the election of Virginia Etiaba as a deputy governor in Anambra state in 2006.

For instance, there is Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, who was elected and served as the Deputy to former Governor of Lagos State, Michael Otedola, between January 1992 until November 1993 when the military took over.

Similarly, there is Cecilia Ekpenyong who was elected as deputy governor in Cross River State in 1992 during the tenure of Governor Clement Ebri.

Also, Lateefat Okunnu served as the deputy governor of Lagos state from 1988 to 1991.

After the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, there is also Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele who was the deputy governor to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos state between 1999 to 2003. Tinubu is currently Nigeria’s President-elect.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Virginia Etiaba is the first female deputy governor in Nigeria is FALSE; findings revealed that a number of women has held the position before her emergence in 2006.

Obinna Nwosu makes false claim about Indomie production

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Obinna Nwosu makes false claim about Indomie production

ON May 1, 2023, Obinna Nwosu, a House of Representatives candidate for African Democratic Congress (ADC)  in Abia State at the just concluded general election, claimed that Indomie is not produced in Nigeria but in Indonesia.

He made the claim following controversies that trailed the safety of noodles consumption which led to the ban on its importation by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

“I am just finding out that Indomie is produced in Indonesia. I thought it was made in Nigeria. This country really needs to move from consumption to production,” he said in his tweet archived here.

The tweet has generated over 800 retweets, more than 3,800 likes and garnered over 830,000 views as of Saturday, May 6, 2023.

 

CLAIM

Indomie is not produced in Nigeria.

Screenshot of Obinna Nwosu’s tweet.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Our checks show that the popular Indomie Instant Noodles consumed is produced locally by Dufil Prima Foods Limited, a Lagos-based company. The company has produced Indomie Instant Noodle in Nigeria for almost three decades.

The company is the largest producer of Indomie in Nigeria and also the first local company to start producing the brand.  They have several Indomie product lines that are popular among Nigerians, including Indomie Instant Noodles Chicken Flavor, Indomie Onion Chicken Flavor, Indomie Super Pack, among others.

There are other local manufacturers of noodles in Nigeria.

An Abuja-based company, Royal Mills and Foods Limited, is another example of local manufacturer of noodles in Nigeria. The company has been in operation for over two decades and produces a range of noodle flavours.

 

THE VERDICT 

The claim that Nigeria does not produce Indomie is FALSE; findings show that the Indomie noodles is produced by Dufil Prima Foods Limited.

Limited human resources is hindering fight against misinformation – Report

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Limited human resources is hindering fight against misinformation – Report

LACK of enough human resources is affecting the capacities fact-checking organisations to tackle misinformation effectively, a report by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has revealed.

The report titled “State of the Fact-checkers 2022” shows that most of the fact-checking organizations operate with limited staff, which may impact their capacities to cover a wide range of information and respond quickly to emerging claims or misinformation.

Part of the report read, “37.6% of organizations have 1-5 full-time employees, making this the most common staffing level. 25.8% of organizations have 6-10 employees, and an equal percentage (25.8%) have 11-20 staffers, indicating that a significant portion of fact-checking operations also maintain modest-sized teams. Only 1% of organizations reported having more than 51 workers, highlighting that large-scale fact-checking operations are rare.”

The report stated that there was growth in financial resources of many fact-checking organisations showing an enhanced capacity for tackling misinformation and fact-checking claims effectively.

“The survey shows that Meta’s Third Party Fact-Checking program is still the leading funding source for fact-checking organizations, contributing 45.2% of their total income. Grants constituted 29% of primary funding, with donations or membership subscriptions accounting for 6.5%,” the report stated.

Others are revenue from website traffic and other social media platforms such as TikTok.

The report stated that fact-checking organizations are now tackling misinformation across various public interest topics majorly bordering on political, economic, social  and health misinformation.

Fact-checking Buhari’s claims on Nigerian Army’s progress

Fatimah Quadri and Nurudeen Akewushola
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Fact-checking Buhari’s claims on Nigerian Army’s progress

Following the Nigerian Army’s Unveiling and Presentation of New Colours ceremony held on April 27, 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari made several claims regarding Nigeria’s army progress under his administration.

Buhari made the claims in a thread post tweeted on his Twitter handle on Saturday, April 27, 2023.

According to him, his administration has achieved a remarkable transformation of Nigeria’s military regarding fighting power, training, operations, manpower, remuneration & welfare, and maintenance efficiency.

In this fact-check, The FactCheckHub examines the veracity of some of his claims.

Claim 1

More than 60,000 soldiers have been recruited since 2015.

The Findings

According to a World Bank report cited by Macrotrends, Nigeria’s military size in 2014 was 162,000, and it increased to 200,000 in 2015.

In 2017, the number was 215,000.

In 2018, it increased to 223,000. The difference between the number of personnel recruited between 2015 and 2019 is 66,000.

The latest data released by Global Fire Power, a website that ranks nations of the world based on currently available firepower, shows that Nigeria’s military personnel population stood at 225,082,083 in 2023.

The Verdict

The claim that more than 60,000 soldiers were recruited under Buhari is TRUE, according to data from Global Fire Power and World Bank report.

 

Claim 2

The quantum of military platforms inducted since 2015 has enabled troops to recapture territories held by insurgents, especially in the Northeast.

The Findings

In February 2015 , Premium Times reported that the Nigerian Army had recaptured some communities in Adamawa and Yobe states. Another Premium Times’ report in March 2015 stated that the Nigerian Army had recaptured two local government areas in Borno state.

A ThisDay report also highlighted that $1 billion was spent on weapons for eight years, and two-thirds of Borno State, half of Yobe State, and some local government areas in Adamawa State were under the control of terrorists before Buhari assumed office, but the Nigerian Army has recovered the band of the territories.

The Verdict

The FactCheckHub cannot categorically state if the quantum of military platforms inducted since 2015 was the factor that enabled the recapturing of territories under the insurgents; however, some territories under insurgents’ control in the northeast were recaptured by the military under Buhari’s administration.

Shettima makes false claim about Tinubu on first female deputy governor, state chief judge

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Shettima makes false claim about Tinubu on first female deputy governor, state chief judge

THE vice-president-elect, Kashim Shettima has claimed that the first person to have a woman as deputy governor and also appoint a woman as a chief justice of a state is the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to a report by the News Agency Nigeria, Shettima made the claim on Saturday, April 29  in Abuja at the reading session of a book written by a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Usman, while assuring the audience that the incoming administration will be gender-friendly.

Shettima was quoted as saying: “Be rest assured that the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will be gender-friendly. He was the first governor to appoint a female as his deputy; he is also the first person to appoint a woman as a Chief Judge of a state.”

CLAIM 1 

Tinubu is the first person to appoint a woman as Deputy Governor in Nigeria.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Checks by FactCheckHub show that prior to the appointment of Kofoworola Akere-Buknor, who was the deputy to Tinubu, there was Sinatu Ojikutu, who served as the Deputy to former Governor of Lagos State, Michael Otedola, between January 1992 until November 1993 when the military took over.

THE VERDICT

Shettima’s claim that Tinubu is the first person to appoint a woman as the deputy governor is FALSE, as findings by FactCheckHub show that there is Sinatu Ojikutu, who served as deputy governor before Tinubu’s era as governor of Lagos State.

CLAIM 2 

Tinubu is the first person to appoint a female as chief judge of a state. 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

According to data obtained from the website of Lagos State Judiciary, the first female Chief Judge in Lagos State was Justice Rosaline Omotosho, who served between April 12, 1995 to February 27, 1996, before Tinubu became the governor in 1999. 

THE VERDICT

Shettima’s claim that Tinubu is the first governor to appoint a woman as the Chief judge of a state is FALSE, according to records from Lagos State Judiciary.

Viral image of Peter Obi with Tinubu is photoshopped

Fatimah Quadri
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Viral image of Peter Obi with Tinubu is photoshopped

A photo of the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and President-elect Bola Tinubu with speaker of the house of representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote and the governor of Lagos state Babajide Sanwo-olu has been circulating on social media.

The photo was posted by @donortez on Twitter with the caption

After Jumat…Meeting with zaddy from left..

Small Srulere Zaddy

BIGGER ZADDY

ZADDY OF ZADDIES.

ZAD

LAGOS ZADDY

The tweet which was posted on Friday has gained traction with over 90, 000 views, close to 700 likes and more than a hundred retweets.

READ : Photo of Obi in handshakes with Tinubu is FAKE!

It has also been circulating on WhatsApp in some closed group chats. Another tweep, @PO_GrassRootM tweeted a screenshot of one of the broadcast circulating and the viral photo with the caption

FAKE NEWS. FAKE NEWS. FAKE NEWS. 

This was cooked up in the APC WhatsApp group and pushed out on social media to deceiving Nigerians kindly disregard.

The Claim

Peter Obi visited President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

The Findings

Findings by the FactCheckHub shows that the claim is false.

A Google search conducted shows that the photo was taken during a courtesy visit to the President-elect at his private residence few days ago.

READ ALSO : Doctored image shows Peter Obi conversing with Seyi Tinubu

Legit.ng reported that  Aliko Dangote paid a courtesy visit to the President-elect which was disclosed on the official Twitter page of the President-elect on Wednesday.

Peter Obi wasn’t seen in any of the original pictures or mentioned in the caption of the photos.

Photoshopped image of Peter Obi with President-elect Bola Tinubu
Photoshopped image of Peter Obi with President-elect Bola Tinubu
A group photo from the event: Source: Twitter @PresElectNgr_
A group photo from the event: Source: Twitter @PresElectNgr_

The Verdict

The claim that Peter Obi went to visit the President-elect Bola Tinubu is false as photos from the president-elect’s Twitter page doesn’t show him among the guests.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa makes false claim about richest man in Sudan

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Abike Dabiri-Erewa makes false claim about richest man in Sudan

THE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of  Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa has claimed that the richest man in Sudan is a Nigerian.

Abike made the claim on Monday, April 24 while responding to a tweet by a Nigerian user asking why some Nigerians decided to study in Sudan. 

“Nigerian study in sudan,how on earth is this possible,” the Twitter user, @Shegelee005 tweeted.

READ : No! Video does not show women being attacked in Sudan

Responding to the tweet, Abike replied the tweet with a caption that reads :

“We have well over 3 million resident there. Even more , but let me just put it at that estimate. The richest person in Sudan is a Nigerian.”

There’s ongoing violence in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, due to disagreement between factions of Sudan Army Chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Bahran, and the rival Rapid Support Forces of his former deputy, Mohamed Daglo.

The violence has led to the death of hundreds and left many foreign nationals stranded with citizens calling on the Nigerian government to quickly evacuate Nigerians in the country.

THE CLAIM

The richest man in Sudan is a Nigerian

THE FINDINGS

Findings by FactCheckHub shows the claim is FALSE.

According to Billionaires Africa, a website that documents news and intelligence about the richest people in Africa listed Mo Ibrahim the top richest man in Sudan and one of the richest Africans in the world  but findings by FactCheckHub shows that he is based in United kingdom not Sudan.

The second person on the list is Sudanese businessman, Osama Daoud Abdellatif who is the chairman of the largest conglomerate in Sudan, DAL Group, large number of companies based in Khartoum, Sudan.

Daoud inherited the engineering and tractor company from his father in the 1960s, and rapidly expanded it. The company now has annual revenues of more than $1.6 billion and tentacles in food and beverage, agriculture, heavy equipment retail, automobile distribution, education and healthcare according to Billionaires Africa.

READ ALSO : Fact-checking Obi’s claims at ‘The Candidates’ presidential town hall series

According to Financial Times, the company was the first company in Sudan to offer land preparation and other agricultural services as a contractor and initiated new ploughing techniques in both Rain Fed and Irrigated Sectors.

Daoud Abdellatif/ Source: Invictus

Daoud is from Wadi Halfa City in north of Sudan and currently resides in the country.  He graduated from Manchester University in 1972 and received an Honorary Ph.D. in Business Management from Sudan University.

He is neither born nor grew up in Nigeria.

THE VERDICT 

The claim by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a Nigerian is the richest man in Sudan is FALSE as findings by FactCheckHub show that based on publicly available data, the richest man in Sudan is a the chairman of DAL Group, Osama Daoud Abdellatif.

NUJ bemoans increased fake news on social media

Nurudeen Akewushola
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NUJ bemoans increased fake news on social media

THE Nigeria Union of Journalists has expressed concern over the increasing prevalence of false information on social media calling on Nigeria’s media to take a stand against the degradation of the journalism profession.

The National President of the Union, Christopher Isiguzo,  made this remark at the lecture series of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan College of Arts and Social Sciences, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, with the theme: “Rethinking The Social Media: Fake News and The Death of The Gatekeeper.”

Isiguzo said fake news has a long-lasting relationship with social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where people can spread information and mislead millions of users.

READ : Misinformation, disinformation could mar Nigeria’s 2023 elections, CDD warns

He noted that lack of gatekeeping on social media platforms which has led to proliferation of  fake news and  hate speeches is a threat to democracy and good governance.

 “Unlike traditional journalism, social media is a bottom-up, emergent phenomenon in which there is little or no editorial oversight or formal journalistic workflow. It does not require training or professionalism,” Isiguzo said. “It is therefore my contention that in an attempt to discuss this topic, adequate consideration should be given to the traditional media. This becomes more pertinent because of my professional calling which today faces threats from the misuse of the social media.”

He noted that the quest for breaking news and revenue generation has weakened the strengths of media houses to ensure proper gatekeeping before publishing stories.

“Many traditional media now allow citizens to report events happening in their area just like many citizens use social media to announce events and breaking news,” he added.

“Perhaps one of the most significant benefits offered by social media is the ability to complement traditional media efforts. With the use of social networking sites, you can redistribute and promote your business’ advertisements, as well as any other media content, including newspaper articles, online interviews and television appearances.”

READ ALSO : Why media houses should set up fact-checking desks to counter fake news

Isiguzo expressed concerns about journalists misusing their power and informed them that in order to prevent such abuses, the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO) has established the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), which is responsible for addressing complaints from the public regarding any violations committed by a newspaper organization.

He advised journalists and media outlets to ensure the adequate verification of stories prior to their publication or transmission to the public in order to stem the tide of misinformation online.

In his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor,  Igbinedion University Okada (IUO) Lawrence Ezemonye, stressed the significance of the media in advocating for a just and equal society that is free from fabricated news and other false information spread on social media. He further emphasized the crucial role of media in the development of a nation.

 

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