Adamawa LG responds to viral video of vice chair's oath reading struggle

The Fufore Local Government in Adamawa State has addressed a viral video showing the vice chairman, Yunusa Hammanjoda, having trouble reading the oath of office.

The video suggests that this incident happened when Mr Hammanjoda was being sworn in as the new chairman of the council.

But the council clarified that the swearing-in ceremony has not yet taken place.

They stated that the video making the rounds is old, manipulated, and shared out of context to mislead the public.

This situation arose after the sudden death of the council chairman, Yahya Saidu, who died in a hospital in Kaduna State.

Mr Saidu passed away about 18 months after his predecessor, Shuaibu Babas, also died while in office.

Since Mr Saidu's death, there have been many discussions on social media about his cause of death and what will happen next in the local government.

Council denies swearing-in and manipulation claims

In an official statement, the Local Government Information Officer, Ahmed Yusha’u, criticized what he called the spread of false information and misleading media.

“The Council has observed the circulation of videos on social media falsely suggesting that the Vice Chairman has been sworn in as the new Executive Chairman of Fufore Local Government Council,” Mr Yusha’u said.

“The Council wishes to clarify that such claims are misleading and should not be treated as authentic information.

“Some of the videos being shared may have been altered, taken out of context, or created using Artificial Intelligence to give a false impression about the current leadership situation.”

Mr Yusha’u urged the public to ignore unverified statements and avoid sharing content that could cause unnecessary tension.

“Fufore is a community that values peace, unity, religious tolerance, and harmonious coexistence among people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he added.

“The Council calls on all residents, social media users, and media practitioners to protect these values by promoting responsible communication.”

The council mentioned that all official news about leadership changes will only come through authorized channels.

Addressing the rumors about Mr Saidu’s death, the local government also dismissed claims of foul play, including poisoning or spiritual attacks.

“These claims remain unverified and should not be presented as facts without credible evidence and proper investigation,” the statement read.

“Members of the public are therefore urged to stop spreading rumors or making speculative statements that could mislead the public or create unnecessary tension,” the official statement said.

Mr Hammanjoda is expected to be sworn in as the new chairman following the official mourning period.