A photo posted by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu showing him at a private lunch with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris has gone viral after users spotted a visible Grok AI watermark on the image.

The discovery has ignited accusations of misinformation from critics, while supporters dismiss it as a minor editing glitch.

Tinubu’s official X post read: “This afternoon, I had a private lunch with H. E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to discuss the current state of world affairs and advancing Africa in an ever-changing global landscape.” The attached photo, however, bore Grok’s branding, raising questions about authenticity.

Despite the controversy, the meeting itself appears genuine. Multiple Nigerian outlets—including Punch, Channels TV, and Daily Trust—reported the Paris luncheon, noting discussions on global affairs and Africa’s future during Tinubu’s European break ahead of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

TheCable first highlighted the watermark, sparking online debate. Critics labeled the image “fake news from the presidency,” while defenders argued it may have been an oversight or Grok-assisted enhancement for clarity. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga who also posted the picture on X has not addressed the issue, though neither Tinubu nor Kagame has denied the meeting occurred.

The incident underscores growing concerns over the use of AI-generated imagery in official communications, particularly as Grok (xAI’s chatbot) is capable of producing highly realistic images from prompts.