The Presidency has dismissed a viral list circulating on social media that falsely claims human rights activist Aisha Yesufu and 35 others were recently awarded national honours by President Bola Tinubu.
The controversial document, which surfaced online on Friday, sparked widespread reactions, particularly among supporters of the Tinubu administration, due to the inclusion of Yesufu — a well-known critic of the government.
Although the viral list contained 102 names, President Tinubu had on Thursday, during his Democracy Day address at the joint sitting of the National Assembly, officially announced only 66 awardees.
The inclusion of additional names, especially that of Yesufu, led many to question the credibility of the document.
Reacting to the development, senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the list as entirely fabricated.
“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 wrote in a Facebook post.
He further clarified that the Presidency had not released any additional names apart from those President Tinubu publicly announced in his address to the National Assembly.
According to him, “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 66 individuals recognised during the 2025 Democracy Day celebration were selected for their significant contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Some were honoured posthumously, including prominent figures who played vital roles in the fight for democracy and the shaping of the country’s electoral history.
The Presidency urged the public to disregard unofficial lists and rely solely on verified announcements from official government channels.
