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Festus Keyamo And Femi Fani-Kayode Are Fake News Peddlers -EU Report
Two notable figures have found themselves at the center of a controversy surrounding the propagation of fake news during Nigeria’s 2023 elections.
The recently published ‘European Union Election Observation Mission NIGERIA 2023 Final Report’ has unveiled the names of Keyamo and Fani-Kayode, highlighting their involvement as purveyors of misleading information that deceived the public before and throughout the crucial electoral process.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the EU observers on Tuesday.
The statement reads “There was an increased incidence of misleading information in the days leading up to and during the election. In many cases, false reports were spread by well-known personalities associated with political parties,”
The EU observers’ report highlighted instances where spokespersons for then-presidential candidate Bola Tinubu’s campaign team, specifically Mr Keyamo and Mr Fani-Kayode, were involved in disseminating fake news during their campaign activities.
“On 12 February, Festus Keyamo from APC promoted information published by a suspicious website, accusing Peter Obi of bribery. The story quickly became viral and was in few hours debunked,” the report noted.
It added, “Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation and an APC party member, made a claim on February 11, 2023, that the PDP presidential candidate Abubakar had a secret meeting with serving military generals in Abuja.”
The EU observers stated, “He accused Atiku of wanting to incite chaos, provoke a coup d’état, and establish a new and unconstitutional order.
“Kayode posted this claim across multiple social media platforms, and it garnered 281.2k total impressions. The next day, he posted that the Army denied reports about a meeting between its officers and Atiku.”
Reacting to the EU report on Monday, Mr Keyamo said, “All the hoopla over that EU report is neither here nor there when it comes to legitimising or delegitimising the government of the day. That power or responsibility belongs to the judiciary.”
Contrary to claims that the 2023 general elections in Nigeria were free, fair, and credible, the EU observers’ report has debunked such assertions.
The report expressed dismay over the alarming death toll of 74 people during the elections and criticized the Nigerian police for targeting journalists while turning a blind eye to political thugs who disrupted the polling process.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the military administrator of Rivers State following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly.
The announcement came during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday amid heightened political tension in the oil-rich South-South state.
Tinubu said the suspension would last for an initial period of six months.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Tinubu Suspends Fubara, Deputy and Lawmakers
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months,” the President stated.
Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff who served from July 2015 to January 2021, will take charge of the state’s affairs.
Tinubu clarified that the judiciary remains unaffected and will continue to function as mandated by the constitution.
“The Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state,” Tinubu added.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
Tinubu made the announcement in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, citing undisclosed reasons for the decision.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Rivers Assembly Accuses Fubara, Deputy Of Gross Misconduct
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months,” the President stated.
The suspension comes amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State.
More updates to follow…
In what political watchers perceive as part of efforts to discomfit and scatter the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the feeling that its National Working Committee (NWC) antagonises him, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revoked the rights to occupy the land on which the party’s national secretariat, Abuja is sited.
Biztelers reports that Wike’s revocation notice was conveyed in a letter released in Abuja on Tuesday, dated March 13, 2025.
The letter was titled, “Notice of right of occupancy with file no: MISC 81346 in respect of plot no: 243 within central area district, Abuja.”
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The letter was signed by the Director, Land Administration (FTC), Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
Wike, it was gathered predicated his action on the PDP’s failure to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2025.
The negligence on the part of the opposition party, the letter claimed was despite many publications in several national dailies and electronic media to pay up every outstanding bill and ground rent on its property.
The letter read, “I have been directed to refer to the above Right of Occupancy granted to PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT and inform you that the Minister of Federal Capital Territory has in the exercise of powers conferred on him under the Land Use Act No. 6 of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, revoked your rights, interests and privileges over Plot No. 243 within Central Area, Cadastral Zone A00, Abuja.
“The revocation is in view of your continued contravention of the terms and conditions of grant of the Right of Occupancy by failing to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from Ist of January 2006 to 1st of January 2025. This is despite the many publications made by the FCT Administration since 2023 in several national dailies and on electronic media requesting all allottees of plots in the Federal Capital Territory to pay up every outstanding bill and ground rent on their property.
“You would please note that the said breaches by PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT (MISC 81346) run contrary to the provisions of Section 28, Subsection 5 (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act.”
There are palpable fears that the PDP’s national secretariat might be demolished or vandalised, sooner than later because Wike added that the FCTA administration would take immediate possession of the party secretariat until all bills are settled.
Tinubu Appoints Vice Admiral Ibas As Rivers Administrator
JUST IN: Tinubu Suspends Fubara, Deputy and Lawmakers
JUST IN: Wike Renders PDP Homeless In Abuja
Explosion Hits Trans-Niger Oil Pipeline In Rivers
Osun Issues Guidelines For Tractor Operations
