US General Warned Nigeria Of ‘Consequences’ If Tinubu’s Presidential Win Is Upheld?

US General Warned Nigeria Of ‘Consequences’ If Tinubu’s Presidential Win Is Upheld?

On October 26, 2023, following months of debates, legal disputes, and widespread attention on social media, Nigeria’s supreme court dismissed appeals against the election of President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu secured the presidency with approximately 37% of the vote in February. It has been estimated that only a quarter of the country’s registered voters participated on election day. He took the oath of office in May.

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Tinubu ran as the candidate for the All Progressives Congress, the same party as the previous Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari. His primary challengers were Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

Following the election, Abubakar and Obi pursued legal action, presenting a series of challenges to Tinubu’s victory.

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Their cases ultimately concluded in late October, when the supreme court ruled that they lacked “merit.”

In the days leading up to the hearing, a widely circulated claim on social media asserted that the United States had issued a warning to Nigeria of “serious repercussions” if its highest court did not invalidate Tinubu’s election.

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One of the posts stated: “U.S Military General allegedly Warns Nigeria Of Dire Consequences If Supreme Court Affirms Bola Tinubu’s Presidency. Listen to Major General Gregory Copley …”

U.S Military General allegedly Warns Nigeria Of Dire Consequences If Supreme Court Affirms Bola Tinubu’s Presidency.

Listen to Major General Gregory Copley..
Cc @jacksonpbn pic.twitter.com/IQLTKfJjZ9

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— Peter Obi's PA (@Kelechi_1st) October 12, 2023

The assertion comprises a nine-minute audio clip featuring an interview with a man discussing Tinubu’s election and the ensuing controversy. A photograph of the man, likely Gregory Copley, accompanies the claim.

Around the 5:50 minute mark, the man states: “If the supreme court does not overturn this election, there will be serious consequences.”

An alternate version of the claim reads: “US warns Nigeria’s Supreme Court against confirming Tinubu as president.” It shows photos of US president Joe Biden and Tinubu.

Additionally, on the Boss Newspaper website, an article titled “General Gregory Copley Predicts Armageddon in Nigeria” is accompanied by a different photograph of the same individual.

The claim can also be seen here, here, here, here and here on Facebook, and here on YouTube.

However, did an actual US military general issue a warning to Nigeria about “dire consequences” if Tinubu’s victory was upheld by the supreme court?

Africa Check conducted a reverse image search on both photos of the individual and confirmed that they indeed depict Gregory Copley.

However, it is important to note that Copley is not a general in the US military. He holds no official position in the US government and is not a US citizen. Instead, he is an author and an expert in foreign affairs. He serves as the head of the non-governmental organization, the International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA), located in Washington DC, USA. Copley is a citizen of Australia.

His biography on the ISSA website characterizes him as a “historian, industrialist, philosopher, author, and strategic analyst” and states that he maintains his residence in Australia.

This raises the question: where did the audio originate from?

Within seconds of the clip starting, the interviewer introduces himself as John Batchelor. Batchelor is a novelist and talk radio host who hosts the John Batchelor Show in the United States.

We conducted a search for “Gregory Copley John Batchelor Show,” which led us to the original audio of Batchelor’s interview with Copley, posted online on October 11. At no point in the interview was Copley referred to as a US general.

The audio does not feature a US general warning Nigeria of severe consequences. Instead, it is an Australian author and foreign affairs expert expressing his opinion.

There is no indication that the US government has taken a stance on the Nigerian supreme court’s decision. In fact, President Biden was among the first world leaders to extend his congratulations to Tinubu upon his inauguration.

Credit: Africa Check

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