Several social media posts recently claimed that the vice-presidential candidate of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said he was “sick and unfit” ahead of February’s elections. The posts implied that Kashim Shettima said he was not fit to run. However, this is misleading: while he acknowledged in a Facebook Live session that he was diabetic and had high blood pressure, he said both he and the APC’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, were both healthy enough to stand for election.

“Breaking: vice presidential candidate of the APC has confirmed that he's sick and unfit as the Nigeria elections approaches (sic),” reads a tweet shared on January 10, 2023.

A screenshot of the false tweet, taken on January 23, 2023

The post, shared by a known supporter of opposition candidate Peter Obi, has been retweeted more than 1,300 times.

It included a screenshot of an Instagram post from Nigerian news outlet Premium Times, which featured photos of Tinubu and Shettima and a quote from the latter about their health.

The misleading claim was also shared on Facebook — including here — and a news blog.

Campaigns for who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari have intensified as the election on February 25 draws closer.

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