No, image showing Nigeria's Kano state deputy minority leader, Aliyu Sani Madaki Gini, with stack of cash not photoshopped
IN SHORT: A viral post on Facebook shows two images of Nigerian politician Aliyu Sani Madaki Gini, one with and one without a huge stack of naira notes in front of him. People are claiming that the image of the cash is photoshopped, but this is not true.
Facebook users have posted two images of a Nigerian politician, Madaki Gini, one showing him with a stack of naira notes in front of him and one without the money. They claim that the image with the piles of cash is photoshopped.
Aliyu Sani Madaki Gini is the deputy minority leader and member of the house of representatives, representing the Dala federal constituency in Kano state.
This claim began circulating on social media following Madaki Gini's exit from the Kwankwasiyya movement, alongside Alhassan Rurum, former speaker of the Kano state house of assembly. Madaki Gini has said that he was dismissed from the movement for being deemed "no longer useful" and lacking support within its ranks.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement was founded after the People's Democratic Party's 2007 electoral loss. It is named after Kwankwaso in Kano state, the hometown of its leader, senator Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso. Kwankwasiyya aims to promote good governance, youth empowerment and grassroots mobilisation.
The posts with the two images of Madaki Gini claim that his supporters have photoshopped the image, adding in the piles of cash. It would seem that the posts aim to discredit Madaki Gini following his exit from the Kwankwasiyya movement, suggesting unethical behaviour or misrepresentation to damage his reputation and political standing.
We found the same claim about the images of Madaki Gini here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
But is it true that the image of Madaki Gini circulating on social media has been photoshopped? We checked.
Real image of cash
To verify this claim, Africa Check scoured Madaki Gini's TikTok account @aliyusanimadakitv where we found various videos that show him with large piles of naira notes. The original video, from which the images circulating have been screenshot, were shared at least five times with different captions, and clearly shows the naira notes.
On 13 November 2024, it was posted twice, the first captioned, in Hausa: "Day 7: shugabanin local government na Dala suma ga nasu". This translates to: "Day 7: The local government chairman of Dala is also ours". The second version was captioned: "Rana ta 7: Rabo ga shugabannin local government na Dala." This translates to: "Day 7: Distribution to the leaders of Dala Local Government Area."
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We found plenty of other videos posted by Madaki Gini, showing cash stacked on the floor and in polythene bags. A video from 10 November was captioned: "Daya 3: Empowerment Rabon Jari ga Matasan Karamar Hakumar Dala". (This translates as "Day 3: Empowerment of Investments for the Young People of Kumar Dala".)
Another post from the same day was captioned: "Rana ta 3: zanyi rabon tallafin jari ga matasan Karamar Hakumar Dala." (This translates as "Day 3: I will distribute capital support to the youth of the Dala Sub-Committee".)
These TikTok videos suggest that Madaki Gini regularly distributes cash gifts to constituents.
This suggests that the photo showing Madaki Gini with large stacks of cash in front of him has not been photoshopped. Rather, it's the image without the money circulating in the same posts that has been edited.
We found the same claim here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
