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| - ON Monday, September 4, 2023, an X (formerly Twitter) user posted a photo collage showing some guests at the inauguration of the Blue Line rail project in Lagos state.
The images showed Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 general election, Olajide Adediran, the Lagos state gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside his running mate, Funke Akindele, and Labour party’s governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, some Arise News presenters – Rufai Oseni, Ojy Okpe, Reuben Abati – and Aisha Yesufu at the launching of the Blue Line rail.
Both Adediran and Rhodes-Vivour contested against APC’s Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the current Lagos State governor, during the 2023 Lagos gubernatorial election held in March 2023.
The Punch reported that Sanwo-Olu, had on Monday, September 4, 2023, flagged off commercial operations of the Blue Line Rail in the state. The governor became the first passenger to ride on the train during its inaugural ride as operations began immediately.
The X user posted the images in a photo collage alongside a caption that reads:
At least we are generous Everyone was invited.
The post has garnered over 90,000 views, more than 500 likes, and 150 reposts as of Tuesday, September 5.
CLAIM
The photo collage shows Peter Obi, Olajide Adediran, Funke Akindele, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Aisha Yesufu, Rufai Oseni, Ojy Okpe, and Reuben Abati at the inauguration of the Lagos Blue Line rail.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by the FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
Checks conducted using Google Reverse Image search show that the image has been manipulated using a photo editing software.
The search led us to the original images which revealed that Peter Obi, Olajide Adediran, Funke Akindele, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Aisha Yesufu, Rufai Oseni, Ojy Okpe, and Reuben Abati were all inserted into the images that made up the photo collage.
Further checks show that the X user specializes in manipulation of images of notable public figures and politicians.
The photo was also customised with his name and a Latin phrase “Caveat lector” which means “Let the readers beware,” a pointer to the fact that the photo collage has been doctored.
The Punch also published images from the inauguration of the Blue Line operation in Lagos and none of the persons mentioned in the claim above were sighted there.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the photo collage shows Peter Obi, Olajide Adediran, Funke Akindele, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Aisha Yesufu, Rufai Oseni, Ojy Okpe, and Reuben Abati at the inauguration of the Blue line rail is FALSE; the images were doctored.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].
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