Wole Soyinka's center: We lied and Osinbajo is right

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism has apologised for misinforming the public on the reasons why it did not give Vice-President Osinbajo the integrity awards.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director, Motunrayo Alaka, sent on Tuesday evening. It was titled "We are wrong, the Vice President is right."

"WSCIJ accepts the statement from the Vice President’s Office as the true position on its intended award to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo."

*An in-house communication gap caused the difference in the use of language and we accept responsibility for this."

"The WSCIJ stands by its intention to award the Vice President the Integrity Specialty of its Anti-Corruption Defender Award."

Contrary to claim by WSCIJ that it postponed the presentation of Integrity Award to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo due to protest from Nigerians, the Vice President Monday evening said he couldn’t attend the event because he was away in Abu Dhabi for an international meeting.

The Presidency in a statement issued on Twitter Monday evening stated that the Vice President had sent a letter to the organisers of the event on Sunday, December 8 stating why he would not be attending the event.

“I am extremely grateful for the recognition and award of the “Integrity Specialty of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism’s Anti-corruption Defender Award of 2019” to me. PresidencyNigeria,”Osinbajo wrote.

The WSCIJ early on Monday announced the postponement of the event citing protest on social media by Nigerians against the Department of State Services (DSS) over the unlawful detention of convener of #RevolutionNow and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore on Friday and the repression of freedom of speech.

Mr Sowore was arrested alongside another activist, Olawale Bakare, on August 3 for planning a protest to call for good governance.

They were charged with treasonable felony, fraud and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.