A picture of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in 2023, wearing a cap with an insignia popularly associated with President Bola Tinubu is circulating on social media.
Many social media users who posted the picture, mostly on X and Facebook, claimed that Kwankwaso has dumped the NNPP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Since Tinubu’s loyalists mostly adorn the infinity insignia, the viral picture suggested that the NNPP chieftain is showing public support for the president.
On Tuesday, an X user, @Onsogbu, an APC member, posted the picture on the microblogging platform
“Kwankansiya now with Tinubu’s unbroken chain cap. Welcome Home sir!. Life is simple,” he captioned the picture.
The post has garnered over 30,000 views, 500 likes, and 80 requotes.
A Facebook user identified as Benjamin Ifeanyi Apugo posted the image with the caption, “Look at the cap Kwankwaso is wearing today. If you know Tinubu very well, you won’t underrate him politically.”
The picture has been published here, here, and here.
The picture appeared online amid rumours that Kwankwaso might leave the NNPP owing to the leadership crisis in the party.
VERIFICATION
Using Google Lens to conduct a reverse image search on the keyframes, CableCheck found out that the original image was published on the Facebook page of NNPP.
The original picture was published on November 8, 2022.
The picture was taken at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu state. Kwankwaso was welcomed by party leaders at the airport.
In the picture, Kwankwaso was putting on the red cap popularly associated with his political group — the Kwankwasiyya movement.
This indicates that the viral image was digitally manipulated to show that Kwankwaso wore a cap showing Tinubu’s insignia.
In 2024, the photoshopped picture also appeared on Facebook, and the supporters of Kwankwaso quickly fact-checked it.
VERDICT
The image showing Kwankwaso wearing a cap withTinubu’s insignia was photoshopped.
