ADC Slams Tinubu Govt Over Japan Visa Row, Accuses FG of Spreading Fake News
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Bola Tinubu administration after Japan denied reports that it planned to introduce a special visa category for Nigerians.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary and former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the situation as an embarrassment and accused the Federal Government of peddling misinformation in its quest for positive publicity.
Japan’s foreign ministry, in a statement on Monday, clarified that it had no intention of introducing special visas for Nigerians or for residents of any other African countries.
The ministry said, “On the other hand, there are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true.”
This directly contradicted an August 22 State House statement signed by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information, which claimed that Japanese authorities had agreed to a “special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to Kisarazu to live and work.”
The same statement also added, “Artisans and other blue-collar workers from Nigeria who are ready to upskill will benefit from the special dispensation visa to work in Japan.”
Reacting on X (formerly Twitter), Abdullahi said Japan’s denial was a clear indictment of the Tinubu administration.
He wrote, “At #TICAD9, the APC Federal Government claimed that the Japanese authorities had agreed to issue ‘special visa categories’ to Nigerians. This denial by the Japanese authorities shows that the Tinubu/APC government have become so desperate for positive headlines that they would not mind spreading #FakeNews.
“The truth is, with this government, we don’t know what to believe anymore. This embarrassment just has to stop.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
