On Friday, July 21, 2023, the Lagos State Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour shared a picture of people trekking in Lagos, Nigeria on his Twitter page. His accompanying text suggested image captured people trekking due to the recent hike in fuel price and transport following subsidy removal.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inaugural speech on May 29 announced the removal of fuel subsidy. Following the announcement, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) directed its outlets nationwide to sell fuel between N480 and N570 per litre, an almost 200 per cent increase from the initial price below N200. Recently, the NNPCL further increased PMS pump price by 15 percent to N617 per litre.
VERIFICATION –
A reverse image search on TinEye, revealed that the image was first published by Daily Post on March 29, 2018 when reporting on former president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Lagos.
It was reported that Buhari attended the 66th Birthday of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, and also the official flag-off ceremony for the construction of the Lekki Deep Sea Port Project in Epe. He was said to have also toured the Eko Atlantic City and inaugurated the Ikeja Bus Terminal, among other engagements, and later attended the State Banquet in his honour at the Lagos House.
According to the news: “Thousands of residents of the state are stranded; air travelers are also being delayed over the “presidential movement”. The visitation was said to have affected road closure and diversions in Ikeja, Maryland, Agege Motor Road, Victoria Island, Ikoyi axis. And Lekki area.”
DAILY POST reported that the Lekki Toll Gate was blocked and commuters had to use the alternative route inward Oniru as well as the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge.
CONCLUSION
The image posted by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is MISLEADING, it was originally shared on March 29, 2018 during the visitation of the former president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos State.
