AN image purportedly showing the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, posing inside a train alongside Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his aide, has surfaced online.
An X user, @Adabanpegede posted the image with a caption suggesting that the presidential candidate visited Lagos to inspect the Lagos rail project and learn from the Lagos State governor.
“Breaking News!!!!
Defeated LP Presidential Candidate came to learn good governance in Lagos.”
The claim has generated over 100 reposts and more than 900 likes as of October 23, 2024.
CLAIM
Image shows Peter Obi and Sanwo-Olu inside a Lagos train.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is misleading.
Our fact-checker subjected the image to a Google reverse search, and the results show that it has been manipulated and Peter Obi was added to the original image.
An earlier version of the image, published on the governor’s Facebook page, revealed that the photo was taken during the flag-off commercial operations of the Redline Rail on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
Sanwo-Olu, who boarded the train at 5:20 PM and stopped at Ikeja at 5:55 PM, mentioned that the Red Line, designed to carry 500,000 passengers daily at full capacity, would significantly improve commuting in the state.
Some officials in the image were seen holding their Cowry Cards, which are used for boarding. However, Peter Obi was not in the photo.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the image shows Peter Obi and Sanwo-Olu inside a train in Lagos is misleading, as findings revealed that the image has been manipulated. Peter Obi was not in the original photo.
This report is republished from the FactCheckHub.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.