Fake tori wey target judges of di Nigeria presidential election court

Di Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) go rule on di petitions wey opposition parties raise against Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu victory for di 2023 polls.

Labour Party (LP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), bin contest im victory for di February 2023 presidential election.

Di judgement dey occur inside plenty disinformation wey social media influencers and micro bloggers bin spread to target di Appeal Court judges on di case.

BBC Global Disinformation Team don torchlight some of dis claims.

False claim say judge resign
For July, one news website, Igbo Times, publish tori wey claim say one of di judge for di five-man panel of di Presidential Petition Court, Justice Boloukuoromo M. Ugo, bin resign sake of “demands to destory democracy”.

Di website bin base im report on one statement wey dem claim say na from Justice Ugo.

Di website claim say di Justice Ugo statement say “siding wit goment on dis mata go be di ‘death of Nigeria democracy”, and say im no fit, wit clear mind, keep quiet.”

Igbo Times Magazine also claim say di justice confess say di ruling party ask am to favour dia candidate.

Justice Ugo no resign, and e no get any evidence to show say wetin Igbo Times claim na true.

Di website promote di tori on im social media pages and many social media influencers, including Charles Oputa, alias Charly Boy, wey get more dan 350k followers, sharply pick am up.

Although local media for Nigeria don tok say di tori na lie, di tori still dey for X (Twitter) page of Charly Boy and oda influencers.

Igbo Times also still get di tori for dia X page and website.

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For March, online newspaper Peoples Gazette report say Nigeria Chief Justice pretend as disable pesin to meet wit Tinubu wen im bin be president-elect for London, to “discuss issues wey fit come up for di legal challenge”.

Many news websites plus social media influencers bin pick dis claim wey BBC no fit verify. Dem even use di foto of di CJN wia dem dey push am for wheelchair for one airport terminal.

Supreme Court of Nigeria agree say di Chief Justice true true travel go London, but na medical reasons cary am go dia and im no meet Tinubu.

False Judgement day

For September, many social media influencers wey dey support Labour Party begin dey claim say di presidential election petition court don fix September 16 as di day wey dem suppose announce judgement.

Dis false tori bin fly upanda for weeks before di PEPC finally announce September 6 as di day wey im go rule on di petitions from three parties and dia candidates.

PEPC deny di trending date and den on September 4 dem announce say e go occur on September 6.

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Alleged suspension of judiciary

For July, Igbo Times website publish fake tori wey claim say President Tinubu suspend “all courts for Nigeria” sake of “fear of disqualification”.

Igbo Times no provide evidence for dis claim wey fact check organisations don debunk. Di tori still remain active on dia website.

More misleading posts

Di announcement from PEPC also make some influencers. Dey post fake information.

One X user wit handle @MissPearls claim say President Tinubu dey “make plans to travel out of di kontri”, come claim say “dem don conclude plan for am to go for one an event’”.

But, Nigeria President travel go India and everybody bin don sabi say im go do dis travel since late April wen media announce say Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi invite am for di G20 summit, wey dey plan to happun for September 9 and 10.

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Calling out judge family members

Aside from many fake report wey target di judges of di Presidential Election Petition Court, some party supporters bin also share threatening messages plus foto of some of dia family members for wetin be like attempt to intimidate dem as di ruling wan happun.

Many party supporters for social media help push dis attempt on intimidation wit hashtag #AllEyesOntheJudiciary.