…says viral list of national honours featuring Aisha Yesufu is fake news, should be ignored.
The iNews Times reports that the Nigerian Presidency has debunked a list circulating on social media that falsely claims human rights activist Aisha Yesufu and 35 others were awarded national honours by President Bola Tinubu.
Given Yesufu’s well-known criticism of the government, the list, which surfaced on Friday, sparked heated debates among supporters of the Tinubu administration, particularly due to Yesufu’s inclusion.
The viral document lists 102 names, contradicting President Tinubu’s Democracy Day address on June 13, where he announced only 66 awardees.
These awardees were recognized for their significant contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, swiftly dismissed the list as “fake news” in a Facebook post.
Ajayi emphasized that the Presidency has not issued any fresh names for national honours beyond those announced by the president during his address to the joint sitting of the National Assembly.
“The story on a viral list of national honours featuring the name of Aisha Yesufu and others credited to the Leadership newspaper is fake news. It should be ignored,” Ajayi stated.
On June 13, President Tinubu honoured 66 Nigerians as part of the 2025 Democracy Day celebration.
Notable posthumous awardees included:
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua: Former Chief of Staff and key pro-democracy figure
Kudirat Abiola: Wife of MKO Abiola and martyr of the June 12 struggle
Prof. Humphrey Nwosu: Former NEC Chairman who oversaw the 1993 elections
These individuals were recognized for their sacrifices and roles in shaping Nigeria’s democratic landscape, iNews Times reports.
