A photo shared on Facebook allegedly shows a Time Magazine cover depicting Nigerian President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

Verdict: False

The photo is digitally fabricated. Although he was named as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People of 2023,” he did not appear in a cover.

Fact Check: 

Tinubu was declared the winner of Nigeria’s presidential elections Feb. 28, NPR reported. He received 37 percent of the votes while his main opposition candidate scored 29 percent, with his amount of votes being the smallest among any other presidents, according to PBS.

The Facebook image allegedly shows a Time Magazine cover with a headshot of Tinubu against a red background. The alleged cover features the president-elect in a suit with a blue ring.

“Time Most Influential 100,” text on the top reads. “Bola Ahmed Tinubu President Elect Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The image is digitally fabricated, however. Tinubu cannot be found in an archive of Time covers since he won the election on Feb. 28. The Facebook photo also does not match the pre-established style that can be seen in other covers. 

Time Magazine did, however, name Tinubu as one of the “100 Most Influential People of 2023” in an April 13 article. (Did The United States Refuse To Congratulate Nigerian President-Elect?)

“This image is not an authentic TIME cover,” a Time spokesperson confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact.

This is not the first time misinformation involving Tinubu has spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim that the United States government had not congratulated Tinubu on his election victory due to suspicions of voter fraud.