- Says Viral List is Fake
By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian Presidency has debunked a viral list circulating online, claiming that prominent figures like Innoson Motors Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Innocent Chukwuma, Pastor Tunde Bakare, activist Aisha Yesufu, and 33 other Nigerians were recipients of the 2025 National Honours.
The Presidency labeled the report as “fake news” and urged Nigerians to disregard the fabricated document.
This comes after a list emerged on Friday claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had also conferred national honours, including titles like Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on some Nigerians listed above.
However, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in a press statement debunked the reports.
Ajayi said the presidency has not released new names for national honours different from the ones released earlier.
The statement reads in part: “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.it
“The Presidency has not issued fresh names for national honour different from the ones in President Tinubu’s address to the joint sitting of the National Assembly yesterday.”
The New Diplomat reports that this comes after Tinubu, on Thursday, conferred national honours on 66 individuals who played active roles in Nigeria’s struggle for democracy.
The president announced names of the awardees during a speech at the joint sitting of the national assembly to commemorate the June 12 Democracy Day celebration.
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Humphrey Nwosu, and Kudirat Abiola were among those posthumously recognised for their roles in the June 12 struggle and broader democratic movements.
