Claim: A Facebook page claimed that popular American TV Host, Steve Harvey, is in Nigeria to support the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Findings from DUBAWA revealed that the claim is false. Steve Harvey is neither in Nigeria nor has he ever disclosed support for any presidential candidate.
Full Text
Steve Harvey Sr. is a multiple award-winning American TV Host of the Steve Harvey Morning Show and Family Feud, among other television programmes. He began his career as a standup comedian when he hosted Showtime at the Apollo in the 1980s.
The Nigerian version of his globally-watched Family Feud will debut in October, with famous Nollywood actress, Bisola Aiyeola, playing host.
The 65-year-old comedian had only ever set foot on African soil when he visited the slave trade site in Ghana, Elmina Castle, about three years ago. However, it was surprising when a blog posted that Mr Harvey was in Nigeria to drum support for the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The post further reads, “The American actor who described Obi as someone he believes so much in is Nigeria alongside his family and will tour some selected tourist sites including castles where slaves were kept. This will expose him to Nigeria and African history and culture.”
The blog post was shared on a Facebook page, and it has garnered more than 1, 400 reactions, 222 comments and 28 shares as of press time.
Verification
DUBAWA’s first attempt was to conduct a Google search to verify if Mr Harvey was in Nigeria. But there was no report about him ever being in Nigeria on any credible media platform.
Also, no credible media organisation reported such development. None of his verified social media accounts or affiliates made such announcements.
DUBAWA further ran a check on his picture with Google Reverse Image Search, a tool that allows users to trace the origin of pictures. It was discovered that the picture was first posted on his verified Instagram page with the caption, “Switched location to ABU DHABI 🙏🏿” on March 30.
Further scans on the picture revealed that Harvey’s location was at Emirate Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, not Nigeria.
Conclusion
Steve Harvey did not come to Nigeria, and neither did he campaign for Peter Obi. Therefore, the claim is false.
