By Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition.
The Ondo State 2024 Governorship Election kicks off Saturday morning as voters cast their ballots to elect the next governor for the Southwestern Nigerian state.
Our team of journalists, researchers, fact-checkers, social media monitors, editors, and OSINT experts are on ground at the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition’s (NFC) Election Situation Rooms located in Lagos and Abuja, to debunk election-related misinformation and disinformation content targeted at causing voter apathy, inciting violence or influencing the outcome of gubernatorial poll.
Claim 2
CLAIM: According to Egalitarian Voice Media and Enterprises, PDP deputy governorship candidate Mr Festus Akingbaso claimed that thugs invaded Idanre Local Government Area during the ongoing governorship election.
THE FINDINGS: An Arise news report published on Nov. 13, 2024, claimed that thugs had invaded Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State, causing mayhem in the neighbourhood. The state police commissioner, Abayomi Oladipo, has ordered an immediate investigation.
However, reacting to the allegation that thugs again invaded Idanre LGA on election day, Odunlami Ibukun, Police Public Relations Officer, Ondo State Police Command, said she was unaware of the attack and that there were police officers on the ground — Idanre LGA. She added that they were instructed to report any attack. She said: “So far, we have not received any report, but we will investigate the matter.”
VERDICT: UNPROVEN
SOURCE: Odunlami Ibukun (Ondo state police PRO).
Claim 3
CLAIM: An X user, @Jersada94, claimed that the Ilaje local government has the second-highest number of voters in Ondo State.
THE FINDINGS: According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the latest upload of the voters’ register list for the Ondo gubernatorial election 2024, as seen on the website, shows that Akure has 314,709 registered voters, followed by Ilaje with 146,426 and Owo with 143,751, respectively.
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCE: INEC
Claim 4
CLAIM: An X user, @Naijassador, has claimed that 1.7 million registered voters will elect a new governor in today’s Ondo State election.
THE FINDINGS: According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 2,053,061 voters registered for the elections in Ondo State while 1,757,205 have collected their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) and are eligible to vote.
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCE: INEC
Claim 5
CLAIM: A TikTok user, @brodabanter_backup_page, has claimed that three governorship candidates have withdrawn their candidacy for Aiyedatiwa.
THE FINDINGS: The NFC found credible news reports from November 14 corroborating the claim. Ebenezer Adeniyan, the chief press secretary (CPS) to the Ondo governor, Aiyedatiwa, confirmed that the candidates had backed the governor. The candidates are Ajibola Falaye of the Accord Party (AP), Jenyo Ataunoko of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Olaide Ibrahim, the deputy candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCES: The Cable and The Guardian.
Claim 6
CLAIM: An X user, @TheoAbuAgada has claimed that the Labour Party (LP) is not included in Ondo governorship election ballot paper.
THE FINDINGS: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo confirmed that the Labour Party (LP) was captured on the ballot in the ongoing governorship election in the state. All political parties that field candidates for the poll verified and confirmed the inclusion of their correct logos ahead of today’s election. Also, Alex Ehime, a journalist with the ICIR who is monitoring the election in Ondo State, after visiting a polling unit, confirmed that LP is on the ballot. However, INEC yesterday in compliance with a court order, restored Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus as LP candidate for the Ondo state governorship poll. He replaced Olusola Ebiseni.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCES: INEC Ondo, Mildrate Okay (a voter in Ondo poll), Alex Ehime (ICIR journalist) and a copy of the 2024 Ondo governorship ballot.
Claim 7
CLAIM: An X user claimed there were incidents of vote buying in Owo, Ondo state.
FINDINGS: A report by BBC Pidgin confirmed the video was captured at Unit 016 Ahmadiyya Grammar School, Owo.
A Keyframe analysis on INVID also shows that the video is recent on the internet. The NFC spoke with Fidelis David, an observer for TheCable, who explained that the language spoken in the video is Owo dialect. Mr David who was in Owo early this morning said although he didn’t see when cash was exchanged physically, he noticed that voters were displaying their ticked ballot papers to some set of persons across the field. He said they were probably doing that for the money promised.
Also, Ayodele Oluwafemi, another TheCable observer in Kiribo Ese-Odo LGA told the NFC that while he could not see voters given cash physically, he observed that voters were given a piece of paper after they had voted which they’ll use to collect money later on.
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCES: Independent Observers, INVID, BBC Pidgin
Claim 8
This fact-check report was jointly researched and written by members of the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition (NFC): Nurudeen Akewushola, Muritala Abdullahi, Fatimah Quadri (FactCheckHub); Elizabeth Ogunbamowo, Cole Praise, Lateef Sanni, Lademi Aborisade, Philip Anjorin, Silas Jonathan, Sunday Awosoro, Mohammed Taoheed, Asiat Jimoh (Dubawa); Catherine Adeniyi, Motunrayo Joel, Allwell Okpi, Adelola Semilore, Denzel Amobi, Muktar Balogun and Precious Ewuji (Africa Check); Caleb Ijioma, Balogun Abosede Mufutiat, Quadri Yahya, Agbelusi Samuel (RoundCheck); Orji Ruth (NatureFacts); Claire Mom (The Cable); Faruk Shuaibu (Daily Trust); Kamal Idress (WikkiTimes); Hannah Ajakaiye, Victor Odion, Efemena Ighofose (FactsMatterNG); Pascal Ibe, Adisa-Jaji Azeez, Salihu Shola Taofeek and Blessing Otoibhi (ICIR); and Rosemary Ajayi (Digital Africa Research Lab).
It was edited and approved for publication by Simbiat Bakare, Lois Ugbede (Dubawa), David Ajikobi (Africa Check), Ajibola Amzat (CCIJ), and Opeyemi Kehinde (FactCheckHub) and Bamas Victoria (ICIR).
