The Presidency has dismissed claims that a photograph showing President Bola Tinubu with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris was artificially generated, describing the reports and accompanying online commentary as false and misleading.
The clarification was issued on Monday, 5 Jan 2025, by Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity. The statement was shared by Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga via his official X account.
According to the Presidency, the photograph was taken during a physical meeting between President Tinubu and President Kagame in Paris on Sunday, January 4, 2025.
Ajayi said both leaders met earlier in the day and had lunch together before later attending a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron the same evening.
He explained that the image was captured with a mobile phone, which affected its quality.
Ajayi added that the photograph was later enhanced using Grok to improve clarity, stressing that image enhancement should not be confused with artificial intelligence image generation.
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“The picture is real and not AI generated as claimed,” he said, noting that improving image quality does not amount to digital fabrication.
The Presidency criticised media reports and social media reactions that concluded the image was fake, saying the claims were based on assumptions rather than verification.
Ajayi said journalists and editors involved should have sought clarification before drawing conclusions, warning that the spread of inaccurate information undermines public trust.
The clarification followed widespread online speculation questioning the authenticity of the photograph after it surfaced on social media.