Introduction
Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made some claims while speaking at the 6th edition of the Voice of Women Conference and Awards in Abuja recently. These claims have been widely reported by a number of news media.

The conference organised by Women Radio 91.7 FM and Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation was a deliberate platform put together to engender an opportunity for presidential candidates or their running mates to highlight their agenda and commitment for the Nigerian women in the 2023 elections.

Nigerian women in politics have recently been strategically engaging their male counterparts, and people in government and political parties to support and engender ‘’the advancement of women’s participation in politics and government’’.

As it stands, women are already taking exceptions to the usual stereotypical roles and cultural biases such as dancing and singing the praises of male candidates during electoral campaigns. The current reality is that none of the political parties has female vice-presidential candidates running in 2023.

Consequently, women folks are interacting towards identifying with presidential candidates more sympathetic to the cause of women and with a clear affirmative agenda for them. In the absence of promises of inclusivity, they have threatened to stage a boycott of the candidates on the ballot boxes.

The conference which was held in Abuja was a follow-up to this threat and it was part of the women’s strategic plan ‘’to meet all presidential candidates to table home their demands’’

These claims were monitored in a video which has already attracted more than 10,426 views on Youtube, also has Kashim Shettima, the APC Vice Presidential candidate, saying 25% of his cabinet as the former governor of Borno State was made up of women appointees.

His Speech
Speaking at the event, Kashim Shettima said: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the first governor in Nigeria to appoint a woman as deputy governor. When he finished his terms as the Governor of Lagos, he was given the opportunity to come to the Senate. He said no. I won’t come. I would rather send a woman to represent his constituency of Lagos Central constituency which is the largest and the most vital of all the senatorial zones in Lagos, State.

The Claims by Senator Kashim Shettima, APC Vice Presidential candidate.

I. That ‘’Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the first governor in Nigeria to appoint a woman as the deputy governor.

2. That ‘’Lagos Central senatorial constituency is the largest and the most vital of all the senatorial zones in Lagos State’’.

3. That Governor Tinubu did not go back to the Senate.

4. That ‘’ Governor Tinubu sent a woman to represent Lagos Central Senatorial district after Tinubu’s tenure in 2007’’.

Fact-Checking the Claims:

I. That ‘’Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the first governor in Nigeria to appoint a woman as the deputy governor.

This is False as Gen. Babangida and Governor Otedola appointed women deputy governors before Tinubu became a governor.

2. That ‘’Lagos Central senatorial constituency is the largest and the most vital of all the senatorial zones in Lagos State’’.

This is incorrect as Lagos West is the largest senatorial district in Lagos State, representing 58.1% of the population of Lagos State while Lagos Central represents 24.3% and Lagos East, 17.5%.

3. That Governor Tinubu did not go back to the Senate.

This is true as Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu did not contest for the position of Senate like some of his contemporaries did after the completion of his tenure in 2007.

4. That ‘’ Governor Tinubu sent a woman to represent Lagos Central Senatorial district after Tinubu’s tenure in 2007’’.

This is misleading as Lagos Central was not represented by a woman until 2011, four years after Tinubu’s tenure

Verification
Claim 1: That ‘’Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the first governor in Nigeria to appoint a woman as the deputy governor’’

To verify this claim, we carried out a series of google searches to find out if any of the major national dailies or online media that covered the event included these claims in their reports, we found the claims here and here being reported.

We then proceeded to check credible sources that highlight the list of past deputy governors in Nigeria before the tenure of Bola Tinubu in 1999. In the process, we found a research study: Challenges Facing Women in Politics; A Case Study of Lagos State, authored by Prof. Obi Iwuagwu et al (2018) of the Department of History and Strategic Studies, University of Lagos. The research identifies all the Lagos state deputy governors since 1979 to 2015.

Two Female Deputy Governors Existed Before Governor Tinubu
The research study shows that two female deputy governors existed before Tinubu’s tenure between 1999 and 2007. One was under a military regime and the other was under a civil rule.

General Ibrahim Babangida Appointed First Deputy Governors in Nigeria

Coupled with this research study, we found other evidence showing that the first deputy governors in Nigeria were appointed by General Ibrahim Babangida. These are Alhaja Okunnu Lateefat Modupe who served as Lagos deputy governor between 1990 and 1992 under the Administration of a former Military Governor of Lagos State, Brigadier General Raji Rasaki (Rtd) and Mrs. Aisha Pamela Saduki who served as the deputy governor of Kaduna State between 1990 and 1992 under the Administration of a former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Abubakar Tanko Ayuba.

These two deputy governors were appointed by General Ibrahim Babangida to represent their respective states under his military regime.

Image: Alhaja Okunnu Lateefat Modupeola:

Image: Mrs. Aisha Pamela Saduki, Courtesy:

Sir Micheal Otedola Appointed First Female Executive Deputy Governor in Lagos State

Our checks also confirmed here that the first executive deputy governor in Lagos State under a civilian government was Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu who served between 1992 and 1993. She was appointed and contested as the deputy governor with Sir Michael Otedola who was the Lagos executive governor between 1992 and 1993 on the platform of the National Republican Convention Party (NRC).

Mrs Sinatu Ojikutu, former Deputy Governor, Lagos State

We have also confirmed here that she was the second female deputy governor in Lagos State after Alhaja Okunnu Lateefat Modupeola

Bola Tinubu Appointed Third Female Deputy Governor in Lagos State

The research document by Prof. Obi Iwuagwu et al (2018) confirms that Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele was the third female executive deputy governor in Lagos State and she served with Governor Bola Tinubu between 1999 and 2002.

See the screenshot of the list deputy governors in Lagos below

Contrary to the claim by Kashim Shettima that Bola Tinubu appointed the first female deputy governor in Nigeria, findings show that female deputy governors have been appointed in Nigeria far before the tenure of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who served between 1999 and 2007 when he appointed Akerele Bucknor Kofoworola who only served between 1999 and 2002.

Claim 2: Lagos Central constituency is the largest and the most vital of all the senatorial zones in Lagos State (False)

Checks have revealed here that Lagos West Senatorial district is not just the largest senatorial district in Lagos State but the most vital senatorial district and NOT Lagos Central as erroneously asserted by Senator Kashim

Lagos West Senatorial District has 10 out of 20 local governments in Lagos and thereby, represents more than half of Lagos State population. According to Data by Lagos Bureau of Statistics, Lagos State has a population of 17,552,942. And of this, the total population of the local governments that make up Lagos West is 10,211,407, representing 58.1%, Lagos Central with 4,269,579 represents 24.3% and Lagos East with 3,071, 956 (17.5%).

Lagos East population Lagos Central Population Lagos West Population Lagos State Population
3,071,956 4,269,579 10,211,407 17,552,942
Courtesy of Data generated from statistics released by Lagos Bureau of Statistics (2019)

Claim 3: That Asiwaju Tinubu did not contest to go to the Senate after the completion of his tenure in 2007.

We went through INEC records and there was no evidence that Asiwaju Tinubu applied for or contested for the position of Senate.

Claim 4: Tinubu sent a woman to represent Lagos central after his tenure in 2007 is misleading as no woman represented Lagos Central in 2007 until 2011.

Verifying the fourth claim that a woman senator represented Lagos Central Senatorial District after Tinubu’s tenure in 2007, findings show here that Lagos Central Senatorial district was represented in 2007 after Bola Tinubu’s tenure by a male Senator in person of Senator Nurudeen Adekunle Muse and NOT a woman as erroneously claimed by Senator Kashim Shettima.

Lagos Central was only represented by a female politician, Senator Oluremi Sade Tinubu in 2011.

Conclusion

Out of the four claims by Senator Kashim Shettima; fact-checking the claims has shown that three out of the four claims were false while only one is true.