By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The presidency has debunked a viral list circulating online that falsely claims that human rights activist Aisha Yesufu and 35 others were recently awarded national honours by President Bola Tinubu.
The controversial list, which surfaced on social media on Friday, 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.
Reacting to the development, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the circulating document as “fake news.”
“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 said in a Facebook post.
He further clarified that, “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.”
As part of activities marking the 2025 Democracy Day celebration, President Tinubu honoured 66 Nigerians who made significant contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Among the posthumous awardees were:
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua – A former Chief of Staff and key pro-democracy figure
Kudirat Abiola – Wife of MKO Abiola and martyr of the June 12 struggle
Prof. Humphrey Nwosu – Former NEC Chairman who oversaw the 1993 elections
The awards were conferred to recognise the sacrifices and roles played by these individuals in shaping Nigeria’s democratic landscape.