Fact-Check: Did IBB Mock Obi, Atiku over Election Loss as “End of Religious” and “Regional” Politics in Nigeria?
Claim: A quotation accompanying a picture of the former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has been widely forwarded to Whatsapp groups where he was quoted to have said that Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar’s loss at the concluded Presidential Election signals the end of “religious” and “regional” politics in the country. Some Facebook and Twitter users also shared the same on their platforms with a video of Tinubu’s visit to IBB in Minna.
Full-Text: The statement which was attributed to the former military junta reads: “Failure of Peter Obi in the last election is a failure of religious politics in Nigeria. No one should deceive you again. Failure of Atiku is a failure of regional politics in Nigeria. No one deserve your vote because he’s from your region. With Tinubu, Nigerians chose Nigeria[sic]”
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Similarly, a social media influencer, Dayo Fasola Gem has posted the same claim.
Verification: An online search carried out by PRNigeria reveals that the quotation in question was made by Adamu Garba, a presidential aspirant under the All Progressive Congress, APC until he stepped down for the president-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu before the convention.
He made the statement via his verified Twitter account on March 9th, 2023, and has generated over 391 retweets, 20 quotes, 1738 likes and 65,000 views.
Previously, IBB’s spokesperson Prince Kassim Afegbua told PRNigeria that his principal communicates his messages via a signed statement, not through social media platforms.
Conclusion: Based on the facts gathered by PRNigeria, the widely circulated quotation did not originate from the IBB as attributed to him. It however emerged from Adamu Garba, a staunch APC loyalist.
Therefore, PRNigeria, concludes that the claim is MISLEADING.
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By PRNigeria
