A viral post claiming that Vice-President Kashim Shettima said “N8,000 can change the life of a youth” has resurfaced on social media.
One of the prominent accounts that shared the post is X user @PO_GrassRootM.
The X account often posts content in support of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections.
“JUST IN: “8,000 can change the life of a youth who knows what he is doing.” ~~ Shettima tells youths of Nigeria,” the X user post claimed.
The X user, with over 400,000 followers, published the post on Saturday.
The post has so far racked up over 400 quotes, 600 reposts, and 2,400 likes.
Some Facebook users also posted the claim on the social networking platform — archived HERE and HERE.
Cable Check also observed that the claim had been on the internet since August 2024. The claim had appeared on Facebook and YouTube.
VERIFICATION
Cable Check conducted an online keyword search of the claim to ascertain the veracity, but the comment was not found on any credible media platform.
A thorough search of Shettima’s social media handles and those of his media aides also did not produce any results about the claim.
None of the social media users who shared the purported comment uploaded any video to support the claim.
It was also discovered that Dubawa, a fact-checking platform, countered the claim in August 2024 when it first surfaced.
When Cable Check reached out to Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the president on media and communications (office of the vice-president), he said the comment did not emanate from his principal.
“He has never said that, and he will never say that. Whosoever made that post did so because of politics and mischief,” Nkwocha said.
VERDICT
There is no evidence to suggest that Shettima uttered the comment being circulated.
