Fact Check On Viral Video Claiming Tinubu Promise To ‘Slow Down The Economy And Widen The Tax Net’

To fact-check the claim, Africa Check captured screenshots from the video and uploaded them to Google Lens, an image verification tool.

Our search led us to a YouTube video of the same event, titled Bola Tinubu Colloquium 2019.

The annual colloquium, established during Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos State, serves as a platform for sharing insights on socio-economic and governance issues. The first edition took place in 2009.

In the video, Tinubu is seen addressing the then vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, urging him not to raise the value-added tax (VAT) in order to protect the purchasing power of the people and avoid further economic slowdown.

He makes no reference to any campaign promises.

We found the video on Channels TV’s YouTube channel, as well as  here and here.

This confirmed that the version of the video circulating on social media had been manipulated and edited to align with many Nigerians’ frustrations about the economy under Tinubu.

In reality, the video shows Tinubu making an appeal to the former vice president in 2019.