A photo has surfaced on the Internet, especially on social media showing the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu supposedly watching his counterpart, Peter Obi of the Labour Party on Arise TV.
Bellnewsonline.com reports that the photo in question originated with the arrival of Tinubu in Nigeria from the United Kingdom (UK), where he spent 11 days, raising questions about his state of health as campaign activities of the party ahead of the 2023 elections, remain suspended indefinitely.
The photo, which was published by @Jessehallidaygi on Twitter, with the caption: “Tinubu Caught On Camera Watching Peter Obi’s Interview On ARISE TV”, has been shared several times and attracted varying comments and reactions across other social media platforms, including Facebook.
How True is this claim?
Reacting to the photo, a Twitter user, @firstladyship wrote: “Tinubu has so much respect for Peter Obi. Who wouldn’t? Obi has disrupted the entire political ecosystem in Nigeria.”
Findings by Bellnewsonline.com reveals that the photo was taken aboard the private jet with which the APC presidential candidate returned to the country.
Prior to the late 2000s, passengers aboard an aircraft had to make do with watching in-flight movies on big screens in the cabin, reading paperback novels or simply gazing out the window at the clouds.
It was impossible to surf the internet or watch live TV, as it was believed that the use of portable electronic devices above 3,000m (10,000ft), could cause potentially dangerous interference between signals from these devices and sensitive onboard electronic systems.
Today, some aircrafts are equipped with Wi-Fi that allow passengers to stream movies or watch live TV. In addition to air-to-ground (ATG) transmission, an aircraft can also connect to the internet via an orbiting satellite.
While it is possible to now watch TV aboard an aircraft, a video has been released online showing Tinubu staring out the window of his private jet with a blank tv screen by his side.
It is however unclear whether the initial photo published was edited to push a certain narrative and deliberately misinform the general public.
Verdict: An in-depth analysis of the reverse image search results showed that neither video showing a blank screen nor the photo showing the TV screen on, have been published on the internet prior to Thursday 6th October 2022 Bellnewsonline.com cannot independently ascertain the credibility of both media contents.
As Nigeria approach the 2023 General Election, it is instructive to note that propaganda will thrive. The electorate and the general public are therefore advised to be circumspect.