Fact Check: Peter Obi Did Not Use A Teleprompter During A Chatham House Interview

A number of social media users, notably the Bola Tinubu campaign and APC loyalists, the Buhari Media Crew (BMC), have been spreading posts in which Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party, is alleged to have used a teleprompter while speaking with Chatham House.

The interview in question took place on January 16th, 2023 and was conducted by Chatham House, a respected think-tank based in London. During the interview, Mr. Obi discussed a variety of topics, including his vision for policy and governance reforms in Nigeria.

Before the question and answer section of the event, Peter Obi was asked by Dr Alex Vines, who chaired the event, to introduce himself and speak on his vision. The next thing he did was read his speech out of a piece of paper, which he now also posted on his Twitter account.

The claims that Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi used a teleprompter during an interview with Chatham House have been proven to be untrue. A viewing of the full interview, which lasted over an hour, clearly shows that Mr. Obi was standing and answering questions without the use of any teleprompter. He was looking at Dr. Alex Vines, who was directing the questions being asked by the audience.

The posts (here, here, here, and here), including those shared by the Tinubu campaign (here) and APC supporters (here), show a photo of Peter Obi’s interview with Chatham House chaired by Dr. Alex Vines on January 16, 2023, with the caption “Peter Obi used both a teleprompter and a note book at the Chatham House and still ended up disgracing himself.” pasted along with the photo.

You may view the entirety of the Chatham House interview, including the introduction and question & answer part, here.

It is evident from Peter Obi’s eye direction during his responses that he was directing his attention towards the event host and actively engaging with the audience. There was no evidence of a teleprompter present during the event. This has been confirmed through videos and photographs shared online after the event concluded.

VERDICT

Claims that Peter Obi used a teleprompter during an interview with Chatham House have been proven to be false through a thorough examination of photographic evidence. The photo that was widely shared on social media, purporting to show Mr. Obi using a teleprompter during the interview, has been determined to be a manipulated or photoshopped image. This manipulation was likely carried out by supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in an attempt to discredit Mr. Obi and the Labour Party.