A photograph shared by the Nigerian Presidency of a meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, has sparked significant controversy online after it was found to carry the watermark of an artificial intelligence tool.
Viral Image Sparks AI Allegations
The image was posted on President Tinubu's official X (formerly Twitter) account, @officialABAT, on Sunday, January 4, 2026. The post stated that the president had a private lunch with President Kagame in Paris, France, to discuss world affairs and Africa's advancement. The photo, which showed both leaders seated together, quickly went viral.
However, sharp-eyed Nigerian social media users soon noticed the Grok watermark on the image. Grok is an AI-powered assistant. This discovery led to a wave of criticism, with many accusing the presidency of sharing an AI-generated image of a supposedly real diplomatic meeting.
Public Outcry and Official Defense
The online reaction was swift and largely critical. One X user, @flowzki, questioned the authenticity of the administration's communications, while @tradewithola pointed out the visible logo. Another user, @_dchairman, used a popular Nigerian proverb, stating, "Breeze don blow we don see the fowl’s nyash," implying the truth had been exposed.
Many called for the dismissal of the president's media team, with @udo_ski demanding the sacking of the photographer, the person who generated the picture, and those who approved the post.
In response, sources within the Presidency defended the image. They told The Cable that the original photo from the lunch meeting was of poor quality and was merely enhanced using the Grok AI tool to improve its appearance. They insisted the meeting was real and the picture was not AI-generated from scratch.
Presidential Aide Clarifies the Situation
On Monday, January 5, Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, reiterated this defense on his verified X account. Ajayi stated that the narrative of an AI-generated picture was a misrepresentation of facts.
He confirmed that the meeting took place and that the two leaders later had dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron that same evening. Ajayi explained that the picture was taken with a phone and had poor quality, so the photographer used Grok to improve it. He criticized media reports for not seeking clarification before concluding the image was fake.
This incident has raised questions about the communication protocols and digital media standards within the Presidency, highlighting the public's growing scrutiny of official content in the age of advanced AI tools.
