As 2023 general election approaches, FIJ has observed several changes to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and presidential aspirant, and his daughter’s information on Wikipedia.

After Tinubu informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his ambition to run for his office in 2023, critics asked questions about his age, as a measure of his physical and mental strength to rule the country.

Although the information available to the public is that Tinubu is 69 years old, many have claimed he is much older. Some said Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, his daughter and Iyaloja of Nigeria, is 60 and wondered if Tinubu fathered her when he was a nine-year-old.

On Wayback Machine, a digital library, FIJ observed that Folashade’s data was altered on Wikipedia at least three times between September 26, 2020, and December 23, 2021.

On October 2, 2020, Folashade’s father was Tinubu, according to Wikipedia. The dates of birth of the two were not included. But by December 23, 2021, Folashade’s birth year had been changed to 1976, and her father’s to 1952 on Wikipedia. This meant Tinubu was 24 years older than his daughter.

However, between Saturday and Monday morning, FIJ observed that Folashade’s father’s name had changed from ‘Bola Tinubu’ to ‘HE Niran Okunnu’. While Okunnu’s birth year was given as 1942, Folashade’s year of birth changed to 1962.

In the afternoon of Monday, FIJ observed another change in the name of Folashade’s father, from ‘HE Niran Okunnu’ to ‘Bola Tinubu’, but with birth years different from those recorded earlier. Tinubu was said to have been born in 1942 and his daughter in 1962, a 20-year age difference.

However, if the current year of birth on Folashade’s page is compared with 1952, the year on Tinubu’s page, the age difference between the two is 10.

While the reason for the changes is still not known, FIJ understands that a Wikipedia page can be edited from without. However, according to Wikipedia, only verifiable information is made public.