FACT CHECK: Was Tinubu’s convoy stoned in Rivers State?

CLAIM: A screenshot of a post has gone viral, with the claim that the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu, was stoned in Rivers State, where he went to campaign.

VERDICT: False!

FULL TEXT

The screenshot of the post is being circulated on WhatsApp. It was also traced to blogs and Facebook, with a picture of a car with crashed glasses. The caption of the post reads: “Rivers state residents stone Tinubu’s convoy and chant “Obi” song.

“Last Wednesday, February 15, Tinubu was in the oil-rich Rivers State for his presidential campaign rally. The former Lagos State governor was received by Governor Nyesom Wike, an aggrieved member of the opposition People’s Democratic Party.

“Tinubu addressed a mammoth crowd of APC supporters at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt. He urged his audience to embrace a united Nigeria, regardless of ethnic differences. He said the country cannot progress nor achieve prosperity without peace and unity.

READ ALSO:FACT CHECK: Did INEC cancel all polling units in Alaba, Enugu, others?

“Let us work hard and build a nation, a nation where peace, unity, stability, joy and happiness will reign supreme. We should be working together not killing one another,” he said.

VERIFICATION

Ripples Nigeria subjected the image to a reverse search and found that it was an old picture.

According to a November 2022 report by Daily Trust, the vehicle in the screenshot was part of the convoy of the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, who was attacked in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.

Also, there are no reports in any traditional or online media that Tinubu was attacked in Rivers State.

CONCLUSION

The picture in the viral post is an old one. Tinubu’s convoy was not attacked in Rivers.

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