A video making the rounds on Facebook, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms claims that former President Goodluck Jonathan has thrown his weight behind Peter Obi’s alleged 2027 presidential ambition.
The video appears convincing.
It shows Jonathan and Obi smiling warmly and shaking hands. Across the footage is a bold inscription:
“2027 GOODLUCK JONATHAN BACKS PETER OBI”
For many viewers, the message seems straightforward. Two prominent political figures meet. A caption announces an endorsement. The conclusion appears obvious.
But is it true?
WABMA Debunker investigated.
The first question was simple: When was this video recorded?
If Jonathan had indeed endorsed Peter Obi for the 2027 election, there should be evidence of such a major political declaration in credible news reports, official statements, or public remarks from either camp.
Our checks found none.
We then subjected key frames from the viral video to reverse image searches and traced the footage to an earlier event.
The result was revealing.
The video was not recorded during any recent 2027 political activity.
Instead, it originated from a meeting between Peter Obi and former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2022, ahead of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
The original footage was published by Channels Television and reported by several mainstream news organizations at the time.
Further examination of reports from that meeting showed that while the two political figures met and exchanged views, Jonathan did not endorse Peter Obi for president.
No statement of political backing was issued.
No declaration of support for Obi’s candidacy was made.
The viral claim appears to have emerged only after a new caption was digitally added to the old footage.
The misleading caption transformed a routine political meeting from 2022 into what appears to be a fresh endorsement story.
What about recent meetings between the two men?
Checks show that Goodluck Jonathan has recently met privately with Peter Obi and other political actors as consultations ahead of evolving political developments.
But even here, the evidence does not support the viral claim.
Peter Obi himself described the interactions as consultations and discussions. No endorsement announcement followed the meetings, and no credible source reported Jonathan backing Obi for the 2027 election.
So what is really true here?
The video itself is genuine.
The people shown in it are indeed Goodluck Jonathan and Peter Obi.
The meeting actually took place.
What is false is the narrative attached to the footage.
An old video from 2022 was recycled and repackaged with a misleading caption to create the impression that Jonathan recently endorsed Obi for the 2027 presidential election.
VERDICT
FALSE.
There is no credible evidence that former President Goodluck Jonathan has endorsed Peter Obi for the 2027 presidential election.
The viral video uses authentic footage from a 2022 meeting ahead of the 2023 election but falsely presents it as a recent endorsement.
WHY THIS MATTERS
As Nigeria gradually moves toward another election cycle, recycled videos and misleading political content are likely to become more common.
Old footage taken out of context can easily shape public opinion and influence political discussions.
Before sharing politically sensitive content, citizens should verify when the footage was recorded, who originally published it, and whether credible sources support the claims being made.
