STOP PRESS: Tinubu–Kagame Paris Photo Is Authentic, Presidency Dismisses AI Claims

By Emmanuel Kwada

The Presidency has firmly dismissed reports and social media speculation suggesting that a photograph showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alongside Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris was artificially generated using artificial intelligence.

In a swift reaction on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described the claims as a gross misrepresentation of facts, stressing that the image in question is real and authentic.

According to Ajayi, President Tinubu and President Kagame met in Paris on Sunday, where they had lunch together. The two African leaders later joined French President Emmanuel Macron for dinner the same evening. The controversial photograph, he explained, was taken with a mobile phone, which accounted for its poor initial quality.

He clarified that the photographer later used Grok, an image-enhancement tool, only to improve the picture’s clarity, not to fabricate or generate the image. Ajayi emphasized that image enhancement does not equate to AI generation, warning against the growing tendency to jump to conclusions without proper verification.

“The assumption that the photo was AI-generated simply because its quality was enhanced is misleading and inaccurate,” Ajayi stated. “Responsible journalism demands that writers and editors ask questions and verify facts before drawing such conclusions.”

The Presidency urged media organisations and social media commentators to exercise professional restraint and diligence, noting that the spread of unverified claims undermines public trust and fuels misinformation.

The clarification puts to rest online debates surrounding the photograph and reaffirms the diplomatic engagement between President Tinubu and his Rwandan counterpart during their Paris engagements.