FACT-CHECK: Claim That Adeleke Visited Peter Obi to Present Him His Certificate of Return Is False
By: Peter Emmanuel |
CLAIM
A viral Facebook post shared by media personality Lere Olayinka, a media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, claims that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke visited Peter Obi at his alleged campaign office in Abuja to present him with his Certificate of Return after winning the Osun State governorship election.
The post was accompanied by a photograph showing Adeleke and Peter Obi holding a framed document.
As of the time of this fact-check, the post had generated 759 likes, 261 comments and 14 reshares.
FULL TEXT
The post reads: “After visiting Peter Obi, Adeleke visits Peter Obi at his Campaign Office, AI Street, Social Media Crescent, Abuja today.”
The post also featured a photograph of Adeleke and Peter Obi holding what appeared to be a certificate.
VERIFICATION
DNN FactCheck reviewed the viral post, the photograph attached to it, the purported location and available reports concerning Adeleke’s Certificate of Return.
The verification established that Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his victory in the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election. Reports show that the certificate was presented to him at the INEC headquarters in Osogbo on August 19, 2026.
However, DNN FactCheck found no credible evidence that Adeleke subsequently presented the Certificate of Return to Peter Obi as claimed in the viral post.
Although Peter Obi congratulated Adeleke following his re-election, his documented involvement was a public congratulatory message issued after the election. On August 16, 2026, Obi congratulated Adeleke and the people of Osun State, describing the outcome as an important democratic victory.
There is, however, no evidence in Obi’s congratulatory message or other credible reports reviewed by DNN FactCheck that he received Adeleke’s Certificate of Return or that Adeleke visited him to present the document.
The purported location stated in the post “AI Street, Social Media Crescent, Abuja” is another major red flag. The description does not identify a verifiable physical location in Abuja and instead combines terms associated with artificial intelligence and social media.
DNN FactCheck also examined the document visible in the photograph. It contains references to the Government of Anambra State of Nigeria and a Certificate of Recognition Award, rather than providing evidence that the document was Adeleke’s Certificate of Return.
The photograph, therefore, cannot establish that Adeleke presented his Certificate of Return to Peter Obi. The unusual location and the manner in which the photograph and caption were presented indicate that the post was created as political satire rather than as a factual account of an official visit.
WHAT WE FOUND
The viral post presents a photograph of Adeleke and Peter Obi alongside a claim that the Osun governor visited Obi to present him with his Certificate of Return.
However, the available evidence does not support the claim.
DNN FactCheck found that Peter Obi did congratulate Adeleke after his re-election. However, the congratulatory message does not state that Obi received Adeleke’s Certificate of Return or that Adeleke visited him for that purpose.
Adeleke’s Certificate of Return was formally presented by INEC, while the alleged “AI Street, Social Media Crescent, Abuja” does not provide a credible basis for establishing that the purported meeting took place.
The certificate visible in the circulated photograph also contains references to the Government of Anambra State and a Certificate of Recognition Award. It therefore does not establish that Adeleke was presenting his official Certificate of Return to Obi.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Governor Ademola Adeleke visited Peter Obi to present him with his Certificate of Return is false. Although Obi congratulated Adeleke after his re-election, DNN FactCheck found no credible evidence that Adeleke presented his Certificate of Return to him. The fictional “AI Street, Social Media Crescent” location and the presentation of the photograph further indicate that the post was satirical.
VERDICT: FALSE
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