The Presidency has rejected claims that a recent meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame was fabricated, insisting that the engagement took place in Paris despite controversy over a photograph shared on social media.
The clarification followed widespread online speculation after an image of the two leaders was posted on President Tinubu’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, January 4, 2026. The photograph, which showed both presidents seated together during a private lunch in Paris, sparked debate after users noticed a “Grok” watermark associated with Elon Musk’s xAI platform, leading to allegations that the image had been generated using artificial intelligence.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the claims as inaccurate and misleading.
“The narrative that the picture of Presidents Bola Tinubu and Paul Kagame taken in Paris was AI-generated is not correct,” Ajayi said, adding that the ensuing media reports and social media reactions were based on a misunderstanding of the facts.
Ajayi explained that the meeting between the Nigerian and Rwandan leaders did take place on Sunday in Paris as part of President Tinubu’s diplomatic engagements during his year-end break. He said the two presidents met for lunch before later joining French President Emmanuel Macron for dinner the same evening.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the image, Ajayi said the photograph was taken with a mobile phone, which affected its initial quality. He explained that the image was later digitally enhanced to improve clarity, and that the appearance of a “Grok” watermark did not mean the photograph was artificially generated.
“The picture is real and not AI-generated as claimed. The photographer later used Grok to improve the picture quality. That alone does not make it an AI-generated image,” he said.
He criticised the rush to label the image as fake, noting that basic verification would have prevented the spread of misinformation.
“The writer or editor should have asked questions before arriving at such a wrong conclusion,” Ajayi added.
The Presidency said the explanation was aimed at setting the record straight and curbing the spread of false narratives, while urging the public and media practitioners to exercise greater caution when interpreting and sharing digital content online.
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