Did Tinubu Confer National Honour on Govt Critic Aisha Yesufu? Presidency Speaks Out on Viral List

• The presidency has denied issuing the viral list of national honours containing the names of Aisha Yesufu, a prominent government critic, and 35 others
• On Friday, June 13, a list showing the names of new individuals who have been purportedly awarded national honours by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu circulated on social media
• Yesufu’s inclusion on the alleged list sparked reactions among supporters of the Tinubu administration, based on her years-long strong anti-government stance

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics and governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - Temitope Ajayi, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, has disowned a viral list naming Aisha Yesufu and 35 Nigerians among national honours recipients.

In a statement obtained by Legit.ng, Ajayi noted that the presidency has not issued any fresh honours list with names different from the ones in President Tinubu's address to the joint sitting of the national assembly on Thursday, June 12.

He said on Friday, June 13:

"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. The presidency has not issued any fresh honours list with names different from the ones in President Tinubu's address to the joint sitting of the National Assembly yesterday."

The controversial list, which surfaced on social media on Friday, June 13, stirred heated debates, especially among supporters of the Tinubu administration, following the inclusion of Yesufu, a well-known critic of the government.

While the viral document lists 102 names, President Tinubu had on Thursday, June 13, announced only 66 awardees during his Democracy Day address at the joint sitting of the national assembly in Abuja.

Among the most prominent were Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Humphrey Nwosu, and Kudirat Abiola, posthumously recognised for their critical roles in the June 12 struggle and broader democratic movements.

The posthumous national honour conferred on Nwosu by the president followed recent moves by lawmakers, particularly senators from the south-east geopolitical zone, to immortalise the former electoral commission chairman.

Yar’Adua was honoured with the title of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

Until now, only two non-presidents — Obafemi Awolowo and late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola — had received Nigeria’s highest national honour.

Read more on Aisha Yesufu:

• “She was smelling”: Seun Kuti responds as Aisha Yesufu shares what allegedly transpired between them
• “Not mine”: Video of Aisha Yesufu refusing to recite reintroduced old national anthem goes viral
• Joe Igbokwe, Aisha Yesufu trade words over new national anthem: "nonsensical behaviour"

Why JAMB should be scrapped: Yesufu

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Yesufu said the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) should be "scrapped".

Yesufu argued that tertiary institutions should be allowed to completely process their admission.

The 49-year-old maintained that the examination body generating huge funds for Nigeria from sales of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) forms means it is "overcharging" citizens.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng