Photo of Nigeria’s outgoing leader and successor taken in Abuja in 2019, not S. Arabia in 2023

“ASIWAJU TINUBU. PRESIDENT ELECT AND PRESIDENT BUHARI AT MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA TODAY, APRIL 12, 2023(sic)”, reads a tweet published on April 12, 2023.

The tweet was quoted more than 700 times before it was deleted.

It was published by Nigerian columnist, Sam Omatseye, who regularly publishes posts in support of Tinubu.

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A screenshot showing the false tweet before it was deleted, taken on Aril 12, 2023

The same photo was also shared elsewhere on Twitter with claims that this was the first time both an incumbent president and president-elect will observe Hajj together in Mecca.

Nigeria’s electoral commission declared Tinubu the winner of the presidential poll held on February 25, 2023.

The main opposition candidates, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party, argued that widespread irregularities and rigging marred the election.

Both men have petitioned the election tribunal, with each claiming to have won.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied any illegal activity, although it acknowledged technical problems with the voting machines.

Old picture

Tinubu announced on March 22, 2023, that he was travelling abroad to "take a rest and perform lesser hajj" in Saudi Arabia. Nigerian media reported that Buhari also headed to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage. His spokesman Garba Shehu shared an image of the outgoing leader saying it showed him in Medinah.

But the claim posted by Omatseye is false.

Using a reverse image search, AFP Fact Check found that the photo has been online since 2019.

The picture (archived here), published by major Nigerian media outlets, was taken by Buhari’s personal photographerSunday Aghaeze. It shows Buhari hosting Tinubu during the breaking of fast at the presidential villa in Abuja on May 10, 2019.

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( Fikayo OWOEYE)

At the time, Tinubu was one of the leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress party.