Clip misleadingly claims Bola Tinubu’s presidential win certificate has been withdrawn

“Breaking News: Tinubu Certificate has been withdrawn”, reads a Facebook post published on April 17, 2023.

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hands winners of state and national elections a so-called certificate of return confirming their victory.

The post was published by an account named “TOPO.ONYEOZIZI” that regularly shares content in support of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

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A screenshot showing the misleading claim, taken on April 27, 2023

The post has since gathered over 6,000 shares.

The first part of the three-minute video shows pictures of Tinubu and, INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu. There is also an image of Yakubu presenting Tinubu with his certificate of return.

“They withdrew Tinubu’s certificate of return,” said the video's narrator in Ibo, a language widely used in southeastern Nigeria. He also pleaded with viewers to share the video widely.

With the narrator still visible in the top-half of the screen, a clip appears in the bottom frame featuring a man dressed in black clerical attire. This man says that the certificate of the president-elect has been withdrawn “in the spirit”.

Many people commenting on the video hailed the alleged announcement as “good news”.

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A screenshot showing comments on the misleading video, taken on April 27, 2023

Vote rigging claims

INEC declared Tinubu, 71, the winner of the presidential poll.

The main opposition candidates, Labour Party’s Obi 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.

INEC has denied any illegal activity, although it acknowledged technical problems with the voting machines.

Video from preacher account

Using the InVIDWeVerify tool to run reverse image searches on frames from the video, AFP Fact Check found the original video of the man in clerical attire (archived here) uploaded on a YouTube channel called "H.E Amb. Franklin C.T Wombo”.

The account belongs to a self-proclaimed “seasoned minister of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”. He is the same man speaking in the footage.

“The certificate to the president-elect has been withdrawn -- in the spirit," he says. "And the election has been annulled -- in the spirit. That election has been cancelled. And the certificate is given to original winner, who is Peter."

He does not, however, say that INEC has officially withdrawn Tinubu's certificate.

Checks on INEC’s website (archived here) and official Twitter account (archived here) showed no mention of the certificate being withdrawn.

INEC spokesman Rotimi Oyekanmi said the certificate had not been annulled.

“Once a certificate of return is issued to a winner, it can only be withdrawn by court order,” he told AFP Fact Check.

Meanwhile, Tinubu and vice-president-elect Kashim Shettima have moved into a temporary residence in Abuja called the Defence House ahead of their swearing-in ceremony on May 29, 2023. They will then move into their official residence at the Aso Villa in Abuja.