It Is AI, Not Me – Tenebe Dismisses Viral INEC Jacket Photo

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe, has dismissed a viral image showing him wearing an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accredited jacket.

Naija News understands that a picture of Tenebe wearing the agency’s accredited jacket during the Ekiti governorship election has been making the rounds on social media.

However, speaking during an interview on AIT on Tuesday, he stated that the picture was generated using artificial intelligence.

He asserted that his visit to Ekiti State had been misrepresented online.

According to him, he was in Ekiti as part of a forum of APC state chairmen across the country, who agreed to support colleagues during off-cycle elections, and not in any official capacity as an observer.

“We have a forum of APC State Chairmen all over the country, and we all agreed that in any stand-alone election, we have to give support to our fellow chairmen in that election. That was how I got to Ekiti, not to monitor elections or whatever

“So what you saw on the internet is a creation of AI. And you know that these opposition people, they know how to do that a lot. So I think it was AI. It was not me,” he said.

He added that he was never accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an observer, stressing that he had never held such accreditation.

“I was never accredited, and I have never been accredited. It’s clear AI, and they are fond of doing it, and they will continue to do it. And AI is going to cause problems for everybody in this country,” he stated.

Responding to claims about the origin of the image, Tenebe said he first saw it on the social media handle of former lawmaker Dino Melaye, alleging that it was being used to create political drama following electoral defeat narratives.

“Yeah, the first place I saw it was on Dino Meleye’s handle. And you know Dino Meleye is fond of things like that. He knows how to act drama a lot,” he said.

The Ekiti State governorship election was held on June 20, 2026, as part of Nigeria’s off-cycle governorship polls conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

At the end of collation, INEC declared the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji of the APC, the winner of the election.