The Nigerian presidency has officially denied awarding any national honours to popular activist Aisha Yesufu, dismissing viral reports that included her name among recent recipients.
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, issued the clarification on Friday, 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."
Confusion Over Honours List
The confusion arose after President Tinubu conferred honours on numerous Nigerians and rights activists on Thursday, including former parliamentarian and activist Shehu Sani. A viral list subsequently circulated on social media platforms suggesting Yesufu was also among the recipients.
When tagged in a social media post congratulating her for the purported honour, Yesufu promptly responded: "God forbid! It can never be this Aisha Yesufu. Thank you."
Political Context
Aisha Yesufu is known for her vocal opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has repeatedly stated that she does not recognize Tinubu as her president. She remains a staunch supporter of Peter Obi, the Labour Party's candidate in the 2023 presidential election, and has consistently criticized the current administration.
Yesufu has maintained that Peter Obi won the 2023 presidential election but was allegedly denied victory through electoral manipulation favoring the APC and Tinubu.
According to Ajayi, President Tinubu did not award any fresh honours beyond those mentioned in his Democracy Day speech delivered at the National Assembly.
Follow BenriNews on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | WhatsApp | Telegram
