The Media Office of former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has dismissed “as fake and doctored”, images currently circulating on the social media, purporting to show Obi kneeling before 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.
According to Obienyem, “if such an event had occurred, it would doubtless have made the front pages of major newspapers,” adding that no credible media platform reported such an incident or carried such photograph.
He also dismissed as false, an image suggesting a handshake between Mr. Obi and Pope Francis.
He 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 statement emphasised, “did not fall into any of those categories and was not part of that protocol segment”.
The media office further wondered 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 called for justice, peace, care for the poor, and ethical leadership.
“These are timeless values that transcend partisan interests and speak to the conscience of humanity,” he said.
The statement urged Nigerians, especially those in leadership, to internalise the Pope’s message and reflect it in their actions, rather than be distracted by fabricated narratives.
