Quadri Yahya
Claim
A press release purportedly issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission circulated with a claim that the electoral body has commenced investigations into a case of criminal forfeiture of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Verdict
The claim is false.
Full Text
On November 12th, 2022, a press release purportedly issued by Independent National Electoral Commission circulated with a claim that the electoral body has commenced investigations into a case of criminal forfeiture of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The statement claimed that INEC commenced the investigation following an order by a court in Northern Illinois, United States of America.
The statement further said the case borders on issues of criminal forfeiture of funds linked to narcotics smuggling conspiracy and smuggling.
The source of the purported release cannot be traced but it has been seen circulating on WhatsApp.
The former Lagos State governor and APC flag bearer is in the race to the office of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the forthcoming general election.
Verification
Such a news would get a wide publication in the media. However, checks by FactCheckElections reveal that no media outlets – online, print or broadcast – disseminate the news.
Instead, the media has widely debunked the fake news.
Further checks revealed that INEC in a post on its verified Twitter page disclaimed the press release.
The electoral body described the release as fake and handiwork of mischief makers.
Conclusion
FactCheckElections can conclude that the press release in circulation with the claim that INEC has commenced investigations into a case of criminal forfeiture of the presidential candidate of the APC is false and misleading.
However, FactCheckElections urged the public to follow these guides to confirm any information on the internet before sharing it.