FACT-CHECK: Did Nigerian award-winning Prof Aderinto tell Tinubu to return stolen mandate?

Israel Arogbonlo

Saheed Aderinto, a Nigerian professor at Florida International University, who recently won the 2023 Dan David Prize, was quoted to have told Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to return his alleged stolen mandate.

A Twitter handle “Saheed Aderinto” on Monday, March 13, had stirred reactions after reacting to Tinubu’s congratulatory message on the blue app.

The now-viral tweet has garnered over 7,000 retweets and 2,819 likes at the time of filing this report.

https://twitter.com/Aderinto0/status/1635306926065192960

The award-winning Nigerian Professor of History was quoted to have told Tinubu while reacting to his congratulatory message on his recent feat, to return his “stolen mandate”.

“Thanks anyway for the recognition, I hope you restore Our stolen Mandate,” the tweet read.

VERIFICATION

In a bid to ascertain the viability of the tweet, TRIBUNE ONLINE fact-checked Prof Aderinto’s social media profile.

Our findings showed the US-based Nigerian professor is currently not on Twitter. The purported tweet emanated from a parody (fake) account that was created in October 2019.

Further checks reveal Prof Aderinto has also debunked the purported tweet, as the said parody account was created without his consent.

“I don’t have a Twitter account. I see that a parody account has been created in my name. I didn’t make those statements on Twitter,” he wrote.

Screenshot of his rebuttal statement below:

VERDICT

The claim in the circulating tweet is false and misleading.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Governorship poll: Lagos, Oyo, Nasarawa, Rivers, Delta, Kaduna, five others are key battle states

As 28 new governors are set to emerge this weekend, about a third of the states in contention have emerged as battlegrounds, Nigerian Tribune’s survey has…

2023 elections: Tinubu’s victory not God’s plan for Nigeria, Peter Obi replies Aisha Buhari, others

The standard-bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Monday, replied to the recent comments by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the…

I never intended to toy with any lady’s emotions —Yemi Cregx

Yelissa, the pair of Yemi Cregx and Nelissa Mchunu, were evicted last Sunday to the shock of many following the show having topped discussions across…

2023 presidential poll: We’ll hit streets if courts don’t work – LP

The Labour Party (LP) said it is prepared to hit the streets to press for its mandate if the courts fail to ensure justice over the…

Super Eagles legend Vincent Enyeama ranked greatest African goalkeeper

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama has been ranked as the greatest African goalkeeper in history by the…

EDITORIAL: Aderinto’s Dan David prize win

THE taste of victory is particularly sweeter in the aftermath of a series of defeats. We are reminded of this paradox of human life as…