They are not only misleading but deliberately designed to confuse, misguide, and distract the public.”
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has dismissed images circulating on social media that purportedly show him in meetings he never attended, describing them as “fake and doctored.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Obi said one of the photographs falsely depicted him with former United States President Donald Trump, accompanied by a fabricated claim that Trump had praised him. Another, he noted, sought to portray him in a meeting with Lagos transport union leader, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
“Let me state categorically that both pictures are fake and doctored, and the accompanying stories are entirely false. I have not met Mr Trump recently, nor have I had any such meeting with MC Oluomo,” Obi declared.
He cautioned Nigerians and the international community to remain vigilant against the spread of disinformation, stressing that such fabrications were designed to mislead and distract the public.
“These fabrications highlight the persistent dangers of fake news and disinformation in our society. They are not only misleading but deliberately designed to confuse, misguide, and distract the public,” he said.
The former Anambra governor added that his politics had never been about “seeking praise or cheap publicity” but about confronting Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
“For the avoidance of doubt, if I had such meetings, I would have personally made them public on my X handle. My politics has never been about seeking praise or cheap publicity; it is about confronting the real problems of Nigeria and working towards solutions grounded in integrity, accountability, and transparency,” Obi noted.
He reiterated that his focus remained on tackling insecurity, strengthening the rule of law, improving education and healthcare, and lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.