Claim: A Facebook user claims INEC’s REC in Rivers State was wearing Bola Tinubu’s cap.
Verdict: False. The alleged image of INEC’s REC in Rivers State, Johnson Alalibo, is the image of the All Progressives Congress’ Rivers State’s chairman, Tony Okocha, who was making a public address amidst the political rift between the electoral commission and the political parties.
Full Text
Amidst the political rift between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some political parties in Rivers State during its local government election, a Facebook user, Umar Abba Danfatoma Jnr, alleged that INEC’s Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Rivers State, Johnson Alalibo, is wearing President Bola Tinubu’s signature cap. This allegation suggests some form of bias on the side of the electoral officer.
Ahead of the Rivers State Local Government Area (LGA) election, there was a political disagreement between INEC and some political parties in the State over the former’s refusal to release the voters’ register for the Oct. 5, 2024 LGA election.
“Rivers State INEC commissioner wearing Bola Tinubu’s cap,” the claimant wrote.
The Facebook post on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, has gained 20 likes and two comments.
Due to political tensions that currently hold sway in Rivers State and the need to erode every form of misinformation and disinformation around the elections, DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search and came across the video the claimant may have used to capture the alleged image of INEC’s REC.
The Arise News YouTube channel posted a video on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, highlighting the existing political tension between the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and some of the state’s political parties.
The news channel outlined some of the contending issues preceding the local government elections on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, including a Rivers State High Court ordering the electoral commission to release the voter register ahead of the elections and a Federal High Court in Abuja giving a contrary verdict.
It further reported INEC’s REC, Mr Alalibo, explaining the commission’s refusal to release the voter register following the Federal High Court’s injunction not to and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s factional leader in the State, Tony Okocha, refusal to go ahead with the local government elections in light of the injunction by the Federal High Court.
DUBAWA took screen grabs of the actual image of INEC’s REC in River State, which was not the image peddled on social media. We further discovered that the image shared on social media as the purported image of INEC’s REC wearing the president’s signature cap is actually the Rivers State factional leader, Mr Okocha.
Television Continental (TVC) also reported a similar detail.
Conclusion
The image is a false representation of INEC’s REC in Rivers State. A credible news report reveals him to be Rivers State APC factional leader Tony Okocha.