TheCable

Social media has been agog with claims that Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), showed solidarity for the All Progressives Congress (APC) by wearing a cap meant for party members.

The picture being circulated is a screenshot from a Channels TV news bulletin showing the INEC chairman wearing a native cap.

CLAIM: INEC chairman wears APC cap

From the picture, the caption reads: FG approves N30,000 for its workers.

The picture in question

The federal government approved the new minimum wage for federal workers on January 22.

When did Buhari wear the cap?

President Muhammadu Buhari wore the cap on February 7 at the APC campaign rally in Adamawa.

Miyetti ‘mun gode’ Adamawa #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/VpxJqy3uGX

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) February 7, 2019

Can that headgear be termed ‘APC cap’?

Because of the upcoming elections, various political parties and loyalists have adopted means of identifying with electorate and convincing them to vote for their candidates.

This has included wearing the cultural attires of states visited for campaigns and this is evident in the pictures below:

APC campaign rally in Benue wearing the native attire

Buhari campaigning in Ebonyi

APC chieftains wearing the cap in question at their rally in Adamawa

Buhari in Bayelsa

Internet checks also showed that there have been instances when Yakubu wore the same cap as Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Bukola Saraki, a PDP leader and speaker of the senate.

It is, however, unknown if he wore the caps on the same day as both men.

ATIKU WITH VARIOUS NATIVE CAPS

Atiku, Secondus and Saraki wear “Kwankwasiyya” cap

Atiku dons the Igbo red cap

Atiku on Ndigbo cap

Atiku in Cross River

Verdict: Claims of the INEC chairman wearing the cap as a sign of solidarity for the president’s reelection are misleading as the picture in question was captured on January 22 before it was used at the APC campaign rally on February 7.

Also, the cap cannot be termed as an APC cap because it is used to symbolise a culture and was merely adopted by APC chieftains for their rally in Adamawa. Besides, politicians wear caps which fit the occasion at hand.