A video viewed thousands of times on TikTok appears to show former US leader Donald Trump endorsing Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi ahead of the country’s general elections in February. However, AFP Fact Check found the clip was digitally altered. It was posted on a TikTok account that uses artificial intelligence to make deepfakes of famous people. The original footage was shot during Trump's presidency while was holding a news conference on COVID-19 at the White House.

The video, viewed more than 69,000 times, shows Trump giving a press conference in the official White House Press Briefing Room.

In the clip, he appears to say that he supports Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate for the Nigerian general election scheduled for February 25, 2023.

“I think I’m going to support Peter Obi because he is the man who is so much concerned with accountability,” Trump appears to say in the TikTok clip published on December 29, 2022. “You know, this alone would solve major problems that they face right now. Good luck, LP.”

A screenshot of the false post, taken on January 13, 2023

Nigerians head to the polls in February to elect President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, along with governors for the majority of the 36 states as well as federal and state lawmakers.

Obi has emerged as one of the top three presidential contenders among the 18 candidates, enjoying significant support from young people.

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