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Viral image of Tinubu, Sowore handshake is AI-generated

Nurudeen Akewushola
Nurudeen Akewushola
Reading Time: 2 min.
screenshot of the viral post

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A viral image on social media purports to show human rights activist Omoyele Sowore shaking hands with Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu.

The image, which depicts the duo appearing to greet each other warmly, has been widely shared alongside claims suggesting an underground political alliance.

A Facebook account, Voice of Biafra International, Germany, posted the image with the caption:

“Tomorrow, he will organize another Kanu protest. See the hypocrite. I informed he’s working for Tinubu & receives huge sum from him to tarnish Obi & Otti….”

As of April 4, 2026, the post had generated over 700 shares and 3,000 likes.

CLAIM

Image shows President Bola Tinubu and Omoyele Sowore meeting and shaking hands.

screenshot of the viral post

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

The claim surfaced amid ongoing political tensions and online narratives attempting to link opposition figures with the ruling government. Sowore, a long-time critic of the administration and founder of the #RevolutionNow movement, has frequently been positioned in public discourse as being opposed to President Tinubu’s policies. This makes any suggestion of collaboration or cordial engagement between both figures highly sensitive and likely to attract attention.

The viral image appears to have been used to support allegations that Sowore is secretly aligned with the government—claims that have circulated in different forms across social media but remain unsubstantiated.

However, analysis of the image shows clear indicators that it was generated using artificial intelligence. Visual inconsistencies in facial details, lighting, and hand positioning suggest digital manipulation rather than a real-life photograph.

Further checks by The FactCheckHub using AI-detection tools confirm this. Results from Is It AI indicate a 94 per cent probability that the image is AI-generated, while Hive Moderation returns a 99 per cent likelihood of artificial generation.

Result from Hive Moderation

There is also no credible report from established media outlets or official sources confirming any meeting or collaboration between Tinubu and Sowore. Given the high public profile of both individuals, such an interaction would have been widely reported.

Additionally, Sowore publicly dismissed the claim via his Facebook page, describing the image as part of a broader attempt to mislead the public using fabricated AI visuals.

He posted: “The unlikely reactionary coalition working tirelessly to hold Nigeria down has now resorted to deploying these fake AI images in a desperate bid to distort reality. But even in their deception, they reveal a deeper truth, an unspoken, genuine recognition of who truly embodies presidential leadership. In their quietest thoughts, they already know who looks presidential between the worn-out Bola Ahmed Tinubu and me. These manufactured images are not just propaganda; they are subconscious confessions. They are speaking, perhaps unknowingly, to a future that has already arrived. Nigeria deserves a president who can stand straight in character, in courage, and in truth. #RevolutionNow”

VERDICT

The claim that the image shows President Bola Tinubu and Omoyele Sowore shaking hands is FALSE. The image is AI-generated and does not depict a real event.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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