Fact-Check: Was Bauchi Commissioner Caught on Video Buying Votes During Gubernatorial Election?
Claim: During the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections across the country on 18th March, a video went viral on social media platforms that the Bauchi State Commissioner of Youths and Support, Hon Adamu Manu Soro, was sharing money to the electorate at his ward to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Full Text: The video clip which was also shared on the facebook page of a National Daily reads, “Bauchi State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Adamu Manu Soro, caught on camera sharing money under Police protection, a day before the Governorship and State Assembly elections in the State, on Friday.”
In the clip, a man was seen flanked by police men while sharing new NGN500 notes to stampeding women with background voices kept echoing in hausa, “ku dinga dangwala lema,” which literally translates into, “vote for umbrella,”
At a point, the beneficiaries were reminded that they collected the money in trust and must ensure to vote for “Umbrella” which connotes the PDP.
Verification: Following an open source investigation, PRNigeria discovered that the claim originated from a Twitter handle Babangida Buharist and retweeted by several other handles including Onitsha Metro.
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The Twitter source was however relied upon by a reporter of a reputable national daily who filed in the report which was eventually published by the platform and shared on its social media.
However, PRNigeria obtained an official portrait of the said commissioner, Hon Adamu Manu Sauro and compared it against the man in the viral video. There are differences between the two images. The Bauchi commissioner of youth and sports appeared more plum and fair than the man in the viral video.
PRNigeria‘s fact check desk therefore broke the video into jpeg frames and zoomed in on the police officers where one of them was identified with his name tag conspicuously written “Bulus Khaziga.”
PRNigeria then investigated and confirmed that Bulus Khaziga was a sergeant of the Nigeria Police attached to the Girei Division in Adamawa State.
The second Police was identified as Sergeant Renos Konarwan attached to Government House Yola while the man sharing the money was identified as an elected legislator.
Further investigation revealed that the video actually emerged on 3rd March 2023 at Girei Government Lodge of Adamawa State and not on an election day as purported.
The incidence reportedly took place when a wife of the state Governor, Lami Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, visited the area.
Conclusion: Investigation by PRNigeria reveals that the man allegedly involved in the viral video vote buying in Bauchi State is not the State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports as claimed as the incident took place in Girei Adamawa State on 3rd March 2023. Therefore the incident neither took place on an election day nor in Bauchi State.
PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim that the Bauchi State Commissioner of Youths and Support, Hon Adamu Manu Soro, was sharing money to the electorate at his ward to vote for the PDP is FALSE and MISLEADING.
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By PRNigeria
