In a bid to address the impact of fuel subsidy removal on the poor and vulnerable segments of the Nigerian population, the federal government recently approved the distribution of N500 billion as palliatives. The plan aimed to provide financial relief to 12 million impoverished and low-income households, offering N8000 per month for six months. While this initiative was introduced, a viral message began circulating on social media platforms, making a serious claim about president Bola Tinubu.
The message alleged that president Bola Tinubu had given N35 billion to Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Arinwoola, with the intent of influencing judges throughout the country’s judicial system. The supposed motive behind this substantial sum of money was to manipulate legal proceedings in Tinubu’s favor, particularly in cases related to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The message, attributed to a breaking news report on the Ochochi media website dated 14th July 2023, sparked discussions and speculations on various social media platforms. A twitter user, @redcap_blodie, amplified the claim, suggesting that the money was an attempt to sway the judges in favor of the President.
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Investigations conducted by The Explainer’s fact-checkers, however, yielded no credible evidence to support this sensational claim. The president’s announcement regarding the N500 billion palliative distribution did not mention any allocation of N35 billion to the National Judicial Council (NJC) or CJN Arinwoola. The money, according to the official announcement, would be directly transferred to the beneficiaries’ accounts, aimed at providing much-needed financial support during a challenging period.
Moreover, no reputable media platforms reported any such news about president Tinubu’s alleged involvement in such financial dealings with the NJC. As a result, the claim that Tinubu gave N35 billion to CJN Arinwoola for the purpose of manipulating legal outcomes using technicalities has been proven to be  false and misleading.
While Bola Tinubu has been known as a seasoned political strategist, the unsubstantiated claim of bribery and judicial interference has not found credible ground. As the nation navigates its socio-political landscape, it is essential to rely on verified information from reliable sources to avoid spreading misleading narratives that can cause tension in the polity.
