FACT CHECK: Was Tinubu caught on camera watching Peter Obi’s interview on Arise TV?

A photo has surfaced on the Internet, especially on social media showing the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu supposedly watching his opponent, Peter Obi of the Labour Party on Arise TV.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the photo in question originated with the arrival of Tinubu in Nigeria from the United Kingdom (UK), where he spent 11 days, raising questions about his state of health as campaign activities of his party ahead of the 2023 elections remained suspended, indefinitely.

The photo, which was published by @Jessehallidaygi on Twitter, with the caption: “Tinubu Caught On Camera Watching Peter Obi’s Interview On ARISE TV”, soon went viral. It was retweeted and shared, several times, attracting varying comments and reactions on Twitter and across other social media platforms, including Facebook.

See tweet below:

Tinubu Caught On Camera while Watching Peter Obi's Interview On ARISE TV

Even Tinubu is well aware, that Peter Obi is the best candidate to lead Nigeria to the Promise land.

State of emergency • Peter Gregory Obi • Fashola • Anambra State • Amaechi • Merlin pic.twitter.com/pMRgz86fC6

— Arch Angel Jesse Halliday 🇳🇬 🇬🇧 (@AaJessehalliday) October 7, 2022

How True is this claim?

Findings by TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reveal that the photo was taken aboard the private jet with which the APC presidential candidate returned to the country.

An in-depth analysis of the reverse image search results showed that the original photo has not appeared anywhere on the Internet until the day of Tinubu’s return, Thursday 6 October 2022.

A video posted by @DOlusegun  provided insights into the origin of the photo and it’s genuineness. The 48 sec video attached below shows that Tinubu was in fact staring out the window of his private jet with a blank screen by his side when the photo was taken.

See video below:

#RenewedHope pic.twitter.com/QBVhAIxPgf

— Daddy D.O🇳🇬 (@DOlusegun) October 6, 2022

The original photo attached above was, therefore, edited to push certain narratives to deliberately misinform the general public.

Verdict: FALSE

From painstaking analysis, the photo of Tinubu, which went viral, was manipulated to make it look as if the APC candidate was actually watching his opponent on TV. It is, therefore, a deliberate act of misinformation to score cheap political goals.

As Nigeria approaches the 2023 General Elections, it is instructive to note that propaganda will thrive. The electorate and indeed the general public are, therefore, advised to be circumspect about the information they are exposed to.