An aide to President Bola Tinubu, Tope Fasua and other pro-All Progressives Congress ( APC) social media influencers, posted a fake news targeting the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ (NDC) presidential candidate for 2027, Peter Obi.
A graphic design with the inscription, “Fake Drug Producers Need Orientation Not Death Sentence, Obi Replies FG,” credited to SaharaRepoters with Mr Obi’s photograph emerged on social media lately.
Though the Peoples Gazette had yet to ascertain when the fake news was first posted, Mr Fasua and other APC social media influencers circulated it.
“The guy is congenitally damaged,” Mr Fasua commented on the fake graphic posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.
Though alerted to the story as fake news, Mr Fasua left the post to continue to gather views and comments.
Commenting on Mr Fasua’s post, U.S.-based public commentator, Prof. Farooq Kperogi, said, “I looked this up, and it appears that the image is manipulated.”
Apart from Mr Fasua, other APC social influencers who circulated the fake news included an aide to the Lagos State governor, Wale Ajetunmobi and Zara Onyinye, among others.
Mr Ajetunmobi, suspended over a post on X in which he confessed to state sponsored extra-judicial killings during #EndSARS, posted the fake graphic, adding “Obi has never disappointed his base.”
Ms Oyinye on Facebook wrote, “Peter Obi says drug and food producers need re-orientation not death penalty.”
Checks by The Gazette show SaharaReporters did not publish such a story as there’s no web link to read the story and ascertain where and when Mr Obi made the statement. Also, no other reputable media outlets in Nigeria reported the story.
A closer look at the fake news also showed that the text was placed on a plane background unlike SaharaReporters’ original design in which texts are placed on a pattern design with low opacity. The foot of the fake design where the logo is placed is also different in colour with the body of the design.
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