The Presidency was on Sunday dragged into controversy after sharing an image purported to show President Bola Tinubu meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris, only for the photograph to be flagged on X (formerly Twitter) as AI-generated.
The image, which went viral within hours, was posted by President Tinubu and amplified by members of his media team, depicting both leaders seated together during what was described as a private meeting in the French capital.
In the post, President Tinubu said the engagement focused on global and African issues.
“This afternoon, I had a private lunch with H.E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to discuss the current state of world affairs and advancing Africa in an ever-changing global landscape,” the president wrote.
Backing the claim, the president’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, also posted: “President Bola Tinubu at a private lunch in Paris with the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.”
Similarly, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, wrote: “President Bola Tinubu at a private lunch in Paris with the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, discussing world affairs and advancing Africa. Sunday, January 4, 2026.”
However, the narrative was punctured after an X community note was attached to the president’s post, raising doubts about the authenticity of the image.
“While a meeting between Mr Tinubu and President Kagame is reported to have held in Paris, the image in this post appears to be AI-generated, given the GrokAI badge.”
Grok is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, the artificial intelligence company owned by Elon Musk, and is capable of producing images, real-time searches and text-based responses.
The development has since sparked widespread debate among Nigerians, with many questioning the use of an AI-generated image in official presidential communication, especially on a sensitive issue involving international diplomacy.
Although President Tinubu tagged President Kagame in the post, neither the image nor any reference to the alleged meeting appeared on Kagame’s verified X account. As of the time of filing this report, the Rwandan leader’s most recent post was about English football club Arsenal FC, dated November 27.
The Presidency has yet to explain why an AI-generated image was used to depict the meeting, or whether an authentic photograph from the reported engagement actually exists.
