A claim that former president Muhammadu Buhari constructed the Second Niger Bridge from scratch has surfaced the internet.
The claim, made by X user @gozionc alongside a series of others, was intended to commend the late president for his achievements in the South-East.
The claim read:
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CLAIM
Former President Muhammadu Buhari constructed the Second Niger Bridge from scratch to finish.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!
The Second Niger Bridge was first proposed during the 1978/79 political campaign by Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
Under President Olusegun Obasanjo, the bridge was promised again, but no substantial work commenced until five days before his handover to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, when he symbolically flagged off the project in Asaba.
In August 2012, the Jonathan administration approved ₦325 million for the final planning and design. However, the groundbreaking occurred on 10 March 2014, just a year before the 2015 elections.
President Muhammadu Buhari cancelled the earlier contract in August 2015 but resumed it in September 2018.
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The bridge was first opened for vehicular movement on 15 December 2022, and was officially inaugurated by Buhari on 24 May 2023. Julius Berger, the contractor, formally handed over the completed 1.6km bridge to the Federal Government in December 2023.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the Former President Muhammadu Buhari constructed the Second Niger bridge from scratch to finish is false; While the Second Niger Bridge was completed and inaugurated during Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the project was initiated and passed through various stages under previous administrations, including those of Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.
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All you are saying is grammar. No other president ever laid a single block on the second Niger Bridge. It was 100% constructed by Buhari and without PPP.