Fact-check: Did Olusegun Adeniyi Call Out Saraki’s ‘Arrogant Display of Power’ in a New Article?
Claim: A viral piece circulating across social media platforms particularly WhatsApp and Facebook claims that Olusegun Adeniyi, Nigerian Columinist, current chair of the editorial board of ThisDay newspapers and a former presidential spokesman to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, has called out former Senate President Bukola Saraki for his “arrogant display of power,” allegedly in an article published online.
The article portrayed a scenario where Saraki arranged for his eldest son, Seni, to invite American rapper Shawn Carter, known as Jay Z, to Ilorin in 2006. According to the article, during Jay Z’s visit, a street was named in his honor, and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, ceremoniously turbaned him as a chief of the Emirate.
The piece also suggests that Saraki who was Governor of Kwara State at the time, coerced respected community elders, including Alhaji Alege and Alhaji Akanbi Oke, to wait at the airport for hours in anticipation of the rapper’s arrival.
The Alleged Article by Olusegun Adeniyi:
The viral post claims to be an excerpt from a column written by Olusegun Adeniyi, which humorously recounts the events surrounding the rapper’s visit. The supposed excerpt reads as follows:
“I read this in Ilorin-speak and it made me laugh so hard:
At the height of his arrogant display of power as Kwara Governor in 2006, Saraki, whose oldest son, Seni, is a rapper, invited Jay Z (Shawn Carter) to Ilorin. During the visit, a street was named for the American hip-hop artist, and the Emir of Ilorin turbaned him as a chief of the Emirate.
“But the real story was how Saraki practically commandeered respected elders of the community to the airport to receive his American visitor. These elders, including the venerable Alhaji Alege, had waited for almost two hours when a private plane landed, and out came Jay Z in khaki shorts, earrings, and gold necklaces—the epitome of Bling!
“Alhaji Alege was said to have turned to another elder, Alhaji Akanbi Oke, and asked in the unmistakable Ilorinspeak:
‘Akanbi, dákun tani wọ́n ní ka wá pàdé?’
(Akanbi, please who exactly are we directed to come and welcome?)
“Alhaji Oke responded:
‘Ọmọ to jáde nínú bàálù náà ni.’
(It’s the young man that just alighted from the plane).
“Alhaji Alege then followed up with another question:
‘Ṣe ọmọ tó wọ ṣòkòtò pémpé, tó fi yarinni s’eti, tó kó seeni s’ọ́run?’
(You mean the one in shorts, with earrings and necklaces?)
“Following an affirmative answer, Alhaji Alege posed another question:
‘Ìṣẹ́ kí ló ń se?’
(What does he do for a living?)
“Obviously more informed, Alhaji Oke replied:
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‘Alágbe ni.’
(He is a musician).
“That drew the last statement from Alhaji Alege:
‘Àlágbe ni Bukola ni k’áwá pàdé! Toh! Ó dáa bẹ. Akanbi, bá mi pé dẹ́rẹ́bà, èmi ń lọ ‘lè!’
(Incredible! So we had been directed by Bukola to come and receive a musician? Ok then. Akanbi, please call my driver, I’m going home).
~ Olusegun Adeniyi “The Message from Kwara”
Verification:
To verify the claims, PRNigeria conducted keyword searches and found that in 2006, Bukola Saraki, then governor of Kwara State, did indeed invite Jay Z, who was serving as the UN Special Envoy for the Water for Life Project, to Ilorin.
The visit was part of the Kwara State government’s efforts to promote its water project in collaboration with international partners. During the visit, Jay Z inaugurated the water project in Iponri, Ilorin East Local Government.
Further investigation through reverse image searches confirmed that Jay Z was indeed turbaned by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, in the presence of Bukola Saraki.
To determine if Olusegun Adeniyi had written the article as claimed, PRNigeria reached out to the ace journalist. He confirmed that the article was an excerpt from an original piece he wrote in 2019 titled “The Message From Kwara.” The article focused on the political climate surrounding Saraki and the consequences of his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in July 2018 just before the general elections.
In response, Mr Olu Onemola, Special Assistant on New Media to the then Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki wrote a reply accusing Adeniyi of personal agenda in his analysis of why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost elections in Kwara State, highlighting Adeniyi’s account of Jay-Z’s 2006 visit to Ilorin as distorted.
Conclusion: Findings by PRNigeria reveals that the article attributed as a recent piece from Olusegun Adeniyi is an excerpt from an original column he wrote on ThisDay Newspaper titled “The Message From Kwara.” six years ago.
The article focused on the political climate surrounding Saraki and the consequences of his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in July 2018 just before the general election and not a recent piece.
Verdict: PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim is Misleading
By PRNigeria
