FACT CHECK: Did Sanusi author viral write-up on Atiku, Tinubu and Obi?

A write-up that analysed the motives of three presidential candidates in the 2023 elections has been broadly shared on social media.

The post, which is said to have been authored by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, former governor of the central bank of Nigeria (CBN), asserted that none of the candidates are in the race for the money.

“One peculiar thing about the top three guys battling it out for the 001 seat is that [none] of them is there for the money,” the first paragraph of the statement reads.

The publication claimed that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has milked the country “well enough” and only wants to answer the title “president” at all cost and through all means.

It also claimed that Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), only wants to fulfill his lifetime political ambition of being president.  “At the end of the day, he would teach us what being fantastically corrupt actually means,” part of the post reads.

On Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour party, the post claimed that the former governor of Anambra is a contended man, who has volunteered to save Nigeria from impending catastrophe by becoming the president in 2023.

The post, which seems to have started making the rounds since June, 19, has been reposted and shared by multiple users on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.

On June 19, the post was shared on a Facebook page named CeleSylv Updates, with 70,000 followers. The post has accrued over 3, 000 shares, 1, 800 likes, and over 1, 400 comments.

A Twitter user, Fame Kid, put the post up at 2:29pm on the same day, where it generated over 2, 000 likes and 1, 301 retweets.

https://twitter.com/famekid_/status/1538519242655555584?t=pJ54rmpuey5no4tigY76Pw&s=19

Max Vayshia, another user, who posted the claim, generated over 1, 300 likes, 873 retweets and 57 comments.

Listen, there has been NO better description of the 3 Presidential aspirants than this. I promise you, you won't be getting a better description of Peter Obi, Jagaban and Atiku. Sanusi is SPOT ON on this. READ👇🏾 pic.twitter.com/ILLUu34otH

— Maxvayshia™ (@maxvayshia) June 19, 2022

I just saw this flying around, Have you read the way Mohammad Sanusi described the three presidential candidates!
Atiku | tinubu | Peter Obi

I can see some comments online backlashing the post. Whichever way the post is 100% truth.

Advertisement

It is left for us to make our own decisions. pic.twitter.com/0C9TY0xbYG

— Hauwa (@hauwaladisanusi) June 19, 2022

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/austine_okpegwa/status/1538592999638171653?t=OT3vvy7r4pEhFv8avag5iA&s=19

Many social media users seemed to believe the veracity of the story, as evident in the comments, where the author was appreciated for the analysis.

VERIFICATION

An online search by TheCable revealed that no credible media platform has published the statement credited to the former governor of CBN.

When TheCable reached out to Sanusi, he disowned the viral statement. “The statement is not from me. It is fake,” Sanusi told TheCable.

VERDICT

The post which analysed the motive of Atiku, Tinubu and Obi for wanting to become president is fake. It was not written by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.