Day two of Daria media presidential town hall series has commenced, featuring the flagbearer of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.
The two-time contender for the presidential seat will be present with his running mate, Haruna Magashi.
The town hall series tagged “The Candidate” commenced yesterday where the Social Democratic Party’s presidential and vice-presidential hopefuls, Adewole Adebayo and Yusuf Buhari, addressed a series of questions related to governance in Nigeria.
The presidential town hall series, which was birthed to engage presidential aspirants about their plans ahead of the February 25 general election, is anchored by Kadaria Ahmed.
DUBAWA and other members of the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NCF), will be involved in live fact-checking of claims made by the candidates.
Claims made by the candidates and their fact-checks are presented below:
Claim 1
Claim: Omoyele Sowore claimed previous government spent 16 billion dollars [on power sector], referring to the Olusegun Obasanji administration.
Finding
The claim has been in circulation that President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration spent $16 billion on electricity. However, there are no publicly available official records that prove this. Some members of the Obasanjo administration have refuted the claim. Also, a 2017 report on corruption in the power sector by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) records that Obasanjo’s administration spent $10 billion, not $16 billion on NIPP from the testimony of the former President’s Chief Economic Adviser, Taminu Yakubu, while testifying before the Senate probe committee
Verdict: Incorrect
Source: Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)
Date: 18/11/2022
Claim 2
Claim: Nigerian government still funds electricity in spite of privatisation.
Finding
Daily Trust reported that the federal government spent N247 billion as an intervention fund for the power sector in 2021. Also, a report by Premium Times quoted vice-president Yemi Osinbajo as saying the federal government spent about N1.5 trillion in intervention fund for Nigeria’s power sector between 2017 and 2018.
Verdict: Correct
Source: Daily Trust and Premium Times
Date: 18-11-2022
Claim 3
Claim: AAC candidate, Omoyele Sowore claims Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, is ‘being jailed in London currently.’
Finding
Multiple reports, including from Sky News and Vanguard, indicates that Ekweremadu has spent over 130 days in custody of authorities in the United Kingdom over human trafficking charges. Findings further show that Ekweremadu’s trial won’t commence until May 2, 2023. Although in detention, Ekweremadu is not jailed (yet).
Verdict: Misleading
Source: Sky News, Vanguard and other sources
Date: 18/11/2022
Claim 4
Claim: AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, claimed Korea and Senegal do not have a ‘senate’.
Finding: A BBC report notes that the Senegalese MPs voted to abolish the senate, in 2012, as part of moves to help the victims of floods. CBS news also reported that the Senegalese lawmakers dissolved the 100-seat senate in the country to save money. Similarly, findings show that North Korea runs a unicameral national legislature.
Verdict: True
Source: BBC, CBS News, and North Korea Government website.
Date: 18-11-2022
