A viral Facebook post has stirred intense public reaction following the claim that the Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, admitted he declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election despite knowing he did not win.
The post quotes Yakubu as allegedly saying: “I knew Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not win the 2023 presidential election, but I declared him the winner because my life was in danger.”
The post further attributes this statement to an article published by Daily Excessive, a blog with a reputation for controversial and often unverifiable content. The claim has generated numerous emotional reactions across Facebook, prompting widespread doubts and calls for investigation. Observers Times launched an in-depth fact-check to verify the authenticity of this widely circulated story.
How The Observers Times Verified the Claim
The verification process began with a content trace of the claim’s origin. The article published on Daily Excessive on 4 May 2025 bore the headline: “JUST IN: I knew Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not win the 2023 presidential election, but I declared him the winner because my life was in danger – Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.”
The article cited no official source, interview, public broadcast, or press statement. It also failed to provide any video, audio, or independently verifiable documentation of Yakubu making such a statement. Instead, it presented block text without timestamps, context, or links to credible sources.
Observers Times conducted a thorough search on INEC’s official website, all its social media handles, and reviewed official press statements issued by the Commission. There was no evidence whatsoever to support the claim that Professor Mahmood Yakubu made such a confession.
Furthermore, an extensive search across credible national and international news platforms revealed no reports of any such statement attributed to the INEC chairman.
If such a significant statement were genuinely made by the electoral umpire, it would have been covered widely and promptly across mainstream media. No such coverage exists.
Comment Reactions: How Nigerians Responded
The Facebook post attracted hundreds of emotional responses. Many users reacted strongly, believing the claim to be true, while others questioned its credibility.
One user, Ola Goke Ajayi, wrote: “What a betrayal!! Can this so-called professor prove it to me that he wasn’t bribed (that he didn’t collect money)? What a disgrace to his calibre/status. The unborn generation will remember you for this wicked and inhumane act. NONSE.”
Julius Agidah commented: “It’s already late for all these frivolous stories. You are a total disgrace to the entire world. People like you should be locked up for life. This is the highest betrayal ever. You don’t deserve forgiveness of Nigerians.”
However, not all respondents took the claim at face value. Uzodinma Zinji expressed scepticism, saying: “Please is this story true? I doubt much. To me, it’s practically unbelievable. He is not only an INEC chairman, but a professor for that matter who in all ramifications knows the very implications of any statements and actions he dares to take. So, I believe someone somewhere is trying to reap from this news. Or rather, trying to play with the intelligence of Nigerians.”
Another user, Eniang Maurice, dismissed the claim outright, saying: “No be Prof talk am oooooo, na rebels of APC and our amiable President na them talk am, but e no get meaning. We go still win again come 2027. APC winning is our culture.”
Background Check on Daily Excessive
Daily Excessive, the blog credited with publishing the viral article, has a long history of spreading sensational headlines without supporting evidence. A digital footprint analysis conducted by The Observers Times found that the platform has previously published numerous claims flagged as misleading by fact-checking bodies such as Dubawa and FactCheckHub.
Their articles frequently lack bylines, source citations, and editorial accountability, which are essential standards in professional journalism.
No Supporting Evidence from Election Observers or Official Records
Observers Times subjected the viral claim to thorough scrutiny by consulting verified reports from both local and international election observer groups, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) itself.
Local and international observers Yiaga Africa, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) all released detailed post-election assessments of the 2023 presidential polls. A careful review of their official reports shows no record or reference to any confession by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, claiming he declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu the winner out of fear for his life.
Yiaga Africa’s final report, titled “Dashed Hopes?”, acknowledged logistical challenges and lapses in result transmission, but it did not cite any instance of the INEC Chairman manipulating results under duress.
Read the report here
The CDD’s final election report similarly discussed irregularities and legal contestations, yet nowhere did it allege or imply that Yakubu confessed to rigging or announcing false results.
Access the report here
In the same vein, the EU Election Observation Mission’s final report contained detailed findings on voter turnout, transparency, and procedural issues but no mention of any confession by INEC leadership.
See the full EU report
Furthermore, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not issued any statement admitting to altering results under threat. On the contrary, INEC’s own post-election report affirms that results were collated from polling units in line with constitutional and Electoral Act provisions.
INEC’s official 2023 General Election Report is available here
These verifiable documents prove that no credible source supports the viral claim. The alleged confession attributed to Professor Mahmood Yakubu appears to be completely fabricated.
VERDICT: FALSE
Conclusion
After a meticulous review of the viral claim, its source, and the absence of credible evidence or corroboration from official channels, Observers Times finds that the claim is false.
rs Times finds that the claim is false.
