The Presidency has officially dismissed a widely circulated list on social media that falsely asserts human rights activist Aisha Yesufu, alongside 35 others, was recently conferred national honours by President Bola Tinubu. This misinformation has sparked intense discussions, particularly among supporters and critics of the Tinubu administration, due to Yesufu’s known critical stance against the government.
The controversial list, which appeared online on Friday, includes 102 names purportedly awarded national honours. However, during his Democracy Day address at the joint sitting of the National Assembly in Abuja on Thursday, June 13, President Tinubu announced only 66 recipients.
Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, categorically labeled the circulating document as “fake news.” In a Facebook statement, Ajayi urged the public to disregard the list, stating, “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 further clarified, “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 official honours were part of the 2025 Democracy Day celebrations, recognizing 66 Nigerians who have made significant contributions to Nigeria’s democratic development. Among the posthumous awardees were notable figures such as Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, former Chief of Staff and pro-democracy advocate; Kudirat Abiola, a martyr of the June 12 struggle and wife of MKO Abiola; and Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, former NEC Chairman who supervised the 1993 elections.
This clarification from the Presidency aims to quell misinformation and maintain the integrity of the national honours process.
