Fact-Check: Did Buhari Sign Bill Renaming Kaduna to Zazzau?
Claim: It has been circulating across social media and some blogs that President Muhammadu Buhari has finally signed a bill to rename Kaduna State to Zazzau State
Full Text: The report claimed that Senate President Ahmad Lawan has assented the bill and sent to President Buhari for final endorsement.
It said the bill was jointly sponsored by Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari and Senator Uba Sani of Kaduna central and it got the approval of 13 members out of 15 of the lower chamber representing various parts of Kaduna State
The report further claimed that the bill was deliberated in the Red Chamber and got 2/3 support of the Sanate.
It mentioned the clerk of the National Assembly, Ojo Olatunje Amos and 123 Civil Organizations from various parts of Kaduna State among those who supported the name change of the State to Zazzau which according to them “is in tandem with the history of culture of the people of the State.”
Verification:
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In a terse statement signed by the Special Adviser Media and Communication to Governor Nasir el-Rufai, Muyiwa Adekeye, debunked the report and described it as fake.
“Kaduna state has not been renamed. Please ignore the elaborate piece of fiction that made the claim. It is fake news,” Muyiwa Adekeye said.
Similarly, Senator Uba Sani, who represents Kaduna Central in the Senate and one of the alleged sponsor of the bill has described the claim as “concocted, subversive, malicious and false information circulating in the social media.”
“My immediate reaction to this outrageous and patently false piece of information is to wonder how mischievous elements can allow their imaginations to run riot, all in a bid to undermine their political opponent. How can people go to the extent of planning to destabilize their own state and worsen the insecurity situation because Senator Uba Sani has gained the full support of the people and is the man to beat in the 2023 governorship elections in Kaduna state.
Also, there was no official statements from either the Senate or Presidency to buttress the claim.
Conclusion/Verdict: The Kaduna state government and Senator Uba Sani – the supposed sponsor of the bill – have both discredited the report. Similarly, there was no official statement from either the Presidency nor the National Assembly to confirm the claim. PRNigeria therefore authoritatively confirms that the claim is FALSE.
