A VIRAL graphic circulating on social media claims that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said his son is gay and advocated for the legalisation of same-sex marriage.
The graphic features an image of Obi alongside a quote that reads:
“My son is gay. This is 21st century. Why can’t we allow gay people marry each other? We have to show them love.”
The claim, was shared on 8 October 2026, in a Facebook group, JAGABAN DISCIPLES, by Babatunde Alabi, with the caption:
“Nigerians will never vote for a president that will legalize Hømøsexual.”
As of 9 October 2026, the post has generated over 80 likes, 200 comments and more than 30 shares, with people believing the claim to be true.
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CLAIM
Peter Obi said his son is gay and advocated for same-sex marriage legalisation.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
Keyword searches conducted by The FactCheckHub show that the graphic is fabricated and the attributed quote is entirely fake. No credible media organisation or official public record documents Obi making such a statement in any public interview, campaign event, or media appearance.
Reverse image search and digital forensic analysis of the photo used to illustrate the quote reveal that it was extracted from his past interview with host Chude Jideonwo on the #WithChude show.
The FactCheckHub reviewed the complete interview footage on Apple podcast and verified clips shared across official social media channels, including updates posted on Tiktok, here, here, here and here. The clips were also posted on Instagram and on X.
At no point in the interview did Obi mention the word “gay”. Although he used the words “son” and “marriage”, both references were made while discussing how some people occasionally ask him not to attend their weddings for fear of political targeting. “My son or daughter is getting married, but please don’t come,” he stated during the interview.
Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013 prohibits same-sex marriages and civil unions. Under Section 5, anyone who enters into such a union faces a penalty of up to 14 years’ imprisonment. The law also prescribes penalties for certain acts of support for or participation in same-sex relationships.
Additionally, The FactCheckHub observed that the Facebook group where the claim was posted, named “JAGABAN DISCIPLES MANDATE GRP,” has a consistent pattern of posting anti-Obi narratives and politically targeted disinformation.
This confirms that at no point during the session did Obi make any statement regarding his son’s sexuality or advocate for same-sex marriage laws.
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The FactCheckHub has previously debunked similar narratives that attribute false or misleading statements to political figures.
VERDICT
The claim that Peter Obi stated his son is gay and called for the legalisation of same sex marriage is FALSE. Findings show that the graphic is fabricated and uses a false quote designed to mislead the public.
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
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