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  • 2022-07-08 (xsd:date)
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  • Image taken at rally in 2018 unrelated to Nigerian politician’s visit to northern Gombe state (en)
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  • An image of thousands of people wearing red caps and occupying an entire street has been circulated on social media with a claim that it shows supporters of Nigeria’s opposition presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso during a recent rally in the country’s northern Gombe state. The claim is misleading; although the photo does show Kwankwaso’s supporters, AFP Fact Check found that it was taken in Nigeria’s capital Abuja in 2018 when the politician declared his intention to run for president at a rally. Three sets of the same photo were shared in a Facebook post from June 2, 2022. The Hausa-language caption claims it shows crowds preparing to welcome Kwankwaso in Gombe. Screenshot taken on July 7, 2022, showing the misleading Facebook post More than 900 people have shared the post. Part of it, translated into English, reads: Kwankwaso Gombe is full. A fourth photo appears to show a different gathering of people in red attire. Kwankwaso is the presidential candidate for the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in general elections scheduled for Februay 2023. Daily newspaper Nigerian Tribune reported that he visited Gombe to launch the NNPP’s regional headquarters on July 2, 2022. While he attracted a significant following to the event, the triplicate photo of vast crowds with red headwear has been shared out of context on Facebook. Old image A reverse image search led to a report published by Nigerian broadcaster TVC News in 2018 when Kwankwaso declared his intention in Abuja to run for president. The report included the image being shared on Facebook. Screenshot taken on July 8, 2022, of the TVC report featuring the image on Facebook Local media reported at the time that Kwankwaso had assembled his supporters at Chida Hotel in the capital after a forced change of venue. Using clues provided in the stories as well as the image, AFP Fact Check traced the location of the 2018 rally to Abuja on Google Maps using matching landmarks. These included telecom masts mounted on the building behind the crowds, an unfinished building which some supporters had scaled, and trees. Comparative screenshots showing landmarks in the image and Google Maps A red army Kwankwaso commands a large following in Kano state as leader of a group called the Kwankwasiyya Movement whose supporters wear red caps and hats. An ex-governor of Kano, Kwankwaso made a bid for the presidency in 2019 while a member of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party. But he had his hopes dashed during the party primary when he was defeated by ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar. Earlier this year, Kwankwaso defected to the NNPP where he hopes to revive his presidential ambitions. Kwankwaso published several images of the launch event in Gombe on Facebook. The 2028 image was not among them. AFP Fact Check was unable to verify where the second image shared on Facebook was taken but we found the same version of it here in a set of photos from the Gombe rally published by Daily Fact Hausa on July 2, 2022. (en)
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