Verdict: Misleading
False information is a threat to the credibility and stability of democracy. One of the agents being adopted to spread mis/disinformation is technological tools capable of creating make-believe information that is difficult to debunk at the surface level.
 
The introduction of artificial intelligence has been a stronghold for false information spreaders on social media platforms. Debunking false information content curated by artificial intelligence appears to be becoming more difficult by the day, as a purported video of President Bola Tinubu was seen on social media, in which he lamented the performance of an English football club, Chelsea, and his intention to buy the club from the owner.

 
In the purported video, which was posted on TikTok  by a user with the name ‘angelajames755’  and other social media platforms  X , here and here on May 2nd, 2024  president Tinubu was saying “I am a fan of Chelsea and I don’t like the way they are losing. Anytime they lose, it gives me a heart attack, so I’m planning to buy from their owner”
 
The video was also reported by Pulse sports Nigeria, with the headline “Tinubu: Nigerian “President says Chelsea losses gives him heart attack”.
The video has generated reactions from different social media platforms, as some reactions showed that they believed it, while others doubted the authenticity of the video, especially since major news platforms in the country did not report such news.
 
The implications of the alleged video, however, could cause a range of responses concerning the political and economic landscape of Nigeria in the future. The country is currently facing economic instability, and if the president—a public figure—expresses his wish to buy a foreign football team in the midst of this, it could alter the perception of the nation’s leadership. Such knowledge has the power to further influence citizens’ beliefs.
 
Verification
 
To put the record straight concerning the claim, NDR investigated the video and discovered that it was artificial intelligence-generated content, manipulated with the common feature of deepfake.
 
Deepfake AI is a type of artificial intelligence used to create convincing images, audio, and video hoaxes. The term describes both the technology and the resulting bogus content, and is a portmanteau of deep learning and fake.
 
The visual examination of the purported clip revealed that the embedded audio does not match President Bola Tinubu’s lips. Moreover, the video’s quality implies that it has been altered, since President Tinubu’s idiosyncrasies do not align with the poise on display.
 
In our  further check, using the InVID-WeVerify tool, and extracting thumbnails  from the clip, followed by some  reverse image seasearches, we discovered the original video was covered by Channels TV on March 29th, 2024, when President Tinubu met with the traditional and religious leaders who were present for the Ramadan Iftar with him  at the state house.
 
In the original clip, the president, who began to speak to his audience at 17 minutes and 56 seconds, admonished them on the important role of religious leaders in shaping public opinion and fostering a sense of unity in the country, and there was no particular time the president mentioned being a fan of Chelsea football club.
 
Conclusion
 
The video clip that claimed that President Tinubu was lamenting about the performance of an English football club called Chelsea is AI generated, and as a result, it is misleading.