A VIDEO circulating on social media claims to show helicopters flying giant political campaign banners of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu across the South-West region of Nigeria while citizens were on the streets protesting against rising insecurity.
The accompanying caption lambasted the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that the aircraft’s deployment showed an alarming lack of situational awareness while parts of the country were in distress.
The video was one of the videos shared on June 1, by a verified X user, @firstladyship, with the caption: “Nigerians took to the streets in Abeokuta, Ibadan, & Ogbomoso to protest against the rising insecurity. But guess what? The APC paid for helicopters to fly the flag & Tinubu’s giant campaign banner across the South West. His lack of situational awareness is alarming. ”
As of June 2, 2026, the post generated over 400,000 views, 12,000 likes and over 6,000 reposts. The comment section was filled with outrage as many believed the claim to be true.
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CLAIM
Video shows APC political campaign helicopters flying President Bola Tinubu’s banners across the South-West amidst insecurity protests.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
While it is true that residents in parts of the South-West have staged public demonstrations to voice concerns regarding regional insecurity, the aerial display featured in one of the videos is completely unrelated to political campaign propaganda.
The ICIR reported an abduction in the region when gunmen attacked communities in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The report detailed how Oyo’s first major school abduction shattered families and emptied vulnerable villages, serving as the direct trigger for the public protests demanding immediate government action and better security infrastructure.
Reverse image search done by The FactCheckHub on the videos shows that the helicopters were deployed as part of the official ceremonial operations for the Nigerian Navy Anniversary celebrations.
A TVC News broadcast published on YouTube on June 2, 2026, confirms that the visual displays, including helicopters towing official ceremonial banners, were part of the fleet review and maritime exercises held for the anniversary.
Furthermore, a report published by the National Accord on June 2, 2026, detailed the celebration. It noted that the events took place during the 2026 International Fleet Review held at the Eko Atlantic Waterfront in Lagos to commemorate seven decades of the Navy providing maritime security. The banners towed by the naval helicopters are ceremonial military flags hoisted to mark the anniversary milestones, rather than paid political advertisements sponsored by the ruling APC.
READ MORE: Presidency goofs, falsely accuses VDM over doctored ‘Tinubu audio’
The Nigerian Navy is celebrating its platinum jubilee, marking 70 years of safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain. The platinum anniversary celebrations run from May 31 through June 4, 2026
VERDICT
The claim that the video shows paid APC helicopters flying campaign banners for Tinubu during insecurity protests is misleading. The helicopters belong to the Nigerian Navy, and the banners were flown strictly in celebration of the Navy’s anniversary events.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
