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Claim: Social media users shared images showing Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, promising to intervene in rent issues if elected president.
Verdict: FALSE. The images, supposedly published in a newspaper called the Daily Tribune, are AI-generated. Atiku did not make such promises.
Full Text
Restoring the fuel subsidy was one of many promises that Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) flagbearer, made to Nigerians preparing to vote for their next president in 2027. However, the promise has generated different reactions, including backlash from the presidency, which described Atiku as a man who “least comprehends the present economic dynamics.”
Many social media users have since shared an image from a newspaper called “Daily Tribune,” showing Mr Atiku promising to stop landlords from receiving rent from tenants. The claim also stated that Atiku said any landlord who collects rent will face a 10-year imprisonment.
On Facebook, DUBAWA found the claim here, here, here, and here, while it appeared on Instagram here, here, here, and here.
Lere Olayinka, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister’s senior special adviser on public communication and new media, shared the image on his verified Facebook page on Sept. 2, 2026. As of Sept. 4, 2026, the post gained over 1,600 reactions, 2,100 comments, and 223 reshares.
Facebook users expressed differing opinions in the comment section. Shola Owoeye, a Facebook user, said, “Let [Atiku] start with his university.”
Adamolekun Adedeji, another Facebook user, had strong words for Atiku over what he described as “foolish campaign promises.” He said, “Did you think Nigerians are foolish like yourself? Anyways, his senseless illiterate followers will take him seriously.”
However, we found other Facebook users who debunked the claim, like Charles Okafor, who urged users to disregard the news.
Adeyemo Victor criticised Mr Lere for “descending so low” by posting the image. He said, “How can Atiku talk with the PDP logo and you know this is fake, and you don’t tolerate this if anybody posts Wike this fake news? Some nonsense people also believe he made the statement.”
The differing opinions in the comment section, the controversy surrounding the claim, and its implication on Atiku’s campaign prompted DUBAWA to carry out the fact-check.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search to confirm whether Atiku made such promises. We found no credible media platform that reported such news. Unlike his fuel subsidy return promises, we found no rent-related promises on his verified X platform.
We also used available tools to confirm whether the newspaper was generated with artificial intelligence (AI). An AI image detection tool, IsItAI, revealed that the newspaper is 97% AI-generated.
AIorNot, another AI image detection tool, gave a 91% probability that the image is AI-generated and a 43% probability that the viral image contains elements of deepfaking.
The supposed newspaper sought to mimic the Nigerian Tribune, a prominent Nigerian newspaper. It also bore the newspaper’s slogan, “Nigeria’s most informative newspaper.” However, the original newspaper’s front page on Sept. 1, 2026, when the Atiku claim was supposedly published, had entirely different news content and context. We also observed that the page layout differed from the original newspaper’s layout for that day. We traced the name to a credible media platform in the Philippines.
Abdulrasheed Shehu, one of Atiku’s media aides, also debunked the claim via his verified X account on Sept. 2, 2026. He stated that the claim is false and does not reflect Atiku’s views or policy position. “We urge the public to disregard the misinformation and rely solely on statements issued through his official communication channels,” he said.
Conclusion
The viral image supposedly showing Atiku’s promise on rent in Nigeria is AI-generated. The presidential candidate did not promise to stop tenants from paying rent or threaten to impose a 10-year prison sentence on landlords, as claimed.