By Jude Michael
The media office of former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has dismissed as fake and doctored, images currently circulating on social media purporting to show Obi kneeling before Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during a recent event at the Vatican.
In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, the circulating photographs were described as “clearly photoshopped” and not reflective of the actual proceedings at the solemn occasion attended by global dignitaries.
‘If such an event had occurred, it would doubtless have made the front pages of major newspapers,’ the statement noted, adding that no credible media platform reported such an incident.
Also dismissed as false was an image suggesting a handshake between Mr. Obi and Pope Francis. The statement clarified that the Holy Father extended personal greetings only to Heads of State, their official representatives, and members of the diplomatic corps. Mr. Obi, the release emphasised, did not fall into any of those categories and was not part of that protocol segment.
The media office further questioned why Obi had become the sole focus of online attention, despite the presence of several other Nigerian attendees at the Vatican event.
‘It is deeply regrettable that a spiritually significant occasion – graced by the moral voice of the Pope – is being misrepresented and reduced to a tool of political mischief,’ the statement read.
Obienyem underscored that the core of the event was the Pope’s powerful message, which, he said, called for justice, peace, care for the poor, and ethical leadership. He described them as timeless values that transcended partisan interest and spoke to the conscience of humanity.
The statement concluded by urging Nigerians, especially those in leadership, to internalise the Pope’s message and reflect it in their actions, rather than be distracted by what he described as fabricated narratives.
