Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has strongly debunked circulating images on social media that falsely depict him with ex-U.S. President Donald Trump and Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Obi, in a statement posted on his official X account on Wednesday and titled “Clarification on Fake News and Photos,” stressed that the pictures were doctored and deliberately fabricated to mislead Nigerians.
He noted that one of the widely shared images attempted to present him as having held a recent meeting with Donald Trump, accompanied by a fake narrative that the former U.S. leader endorsed him. “These are outright lies,” Obi said, emphasizing that no such encounter took place.
Another manipulated photo, according to him, attempted to place him in the office of MC Oluomo.
He dismissed this as equally baseless. “Both pictures are fake, doctored, and the stories attached to them are completely false. I have neither met Mr. Trump recently nor had any such meeting with MC Oluomo,” Obi clarified.
The former Anambra State governor cautioned that these tactics reflect the increasing threat of fake news and misinformation in Nigeria’s political space.
He described the spread of such falsehoods as intentional schemes to “confuse, misguide, and distract” citizens from the real issues facing the country.
Obi assured the public that if he were to have such meetings, Nigerians would hear it directly from him. “For the record, if I had such engagements, I would announce them myself on my X handle. My political journey has never been driven by a hunger for validation or empty publicity but by the determination to confront Nigeria’s challenges head-on,” he stated.
Reiterating his priorities, Obi pledged to remain focused on pressing national issues, including tackling insecurity, strengthening institutions and the rule of law, advancing access to quality education and healthcare, and developing strategies to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
