The vice-president-elect and former governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima has claimed that the first person to have a woman as deputy governor and also appoint a woman as a chief justice of a state is the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a report by the News Agency Nigeria, Shettima made the claim on Saturday, April 29 in Abuja at the reading session of a book written by a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Usman, while assuring the audience that the incoming administration will be gender-friendly.
Shettima who is currently a Senator was quoted as saying: “Be rest assured that the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will be gender-friendly. He was the first governor to appoint a female as his deputy; he is also the first person to appoint a woman as a Chief Judge of a state.”
FIRST CLAIM
Looking at the first claim that Tinubu is the first person to appoint a woman as Deputy Governor in Nigeria.
FINDINGS
Google searching for the first female deputy governor of Lagos state shows that prior to the appointment of Kofoworola Akere-Buknor, who was the deputy to Tinubu between 1999 and 2003, there was Sinatu Ojikutu, who served as the Deputy to the former Governor of Lagos State, Michael Otedola, between January 1992 until November 1993 when the military took over.
VERDICT
The findings by DA NEWS, it reveals that the claim by Senator Shettima that Tinubu is the first person to appoint a woman as the deputy governor in Nigeria is UNTRUE.
SECOND CLAIM
Bola Tinubu is the first person to appoint a female as chief judge of a state.
FINDINGS
According to data obtained from the website of Lagos State Judiciary and DNL Legal & Style, a law website the first female Chief Judge in Lagos State was Justice Rosaline Omotosho, who served between April 12, 1995, to February 27, 1996, four years before Tinubu became the governor in 1999.
VERDICT
According to records from Lagos State Judiciary, Shettima’s claim that Tinubu is the first governor to appoint a woman as the Chief judge of a state in Nigeria is FALSE.
By Dare Akogun.
