Amid public criticisms, President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, deleted a social media post in which he falsely claimed to have met with Vatican Secretary Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Posting two photos of himself and Cardinal Kevin Farrell on Sunday, Mr Tinubu wrongly claimed he was hosted by Cardinal Parolin, sparking reactions from Nigerians on X.

“Upon my arrival in Rome ahead of the solemn Mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I was warmly received and graciously hosted to dinner by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State to the Vatican,” Mr Tinubu said.

Embarrassed by the error, Mr Tinubu quickly deleted the post without offering an apology for misleading the public.

However, the now-deleted post continued to spark reactions, with many Nigerians calling out the president for circulating incorrect information.

An X user, @TheSerahIbrahim, said: “Stop the fake news Bola Tinubu. This is NOT His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin. You are there on official duties as every nation is. All countries, especially those with huge Catholic faithfuls, are invited to the inauguration. You’re there to represent the country’s Catholics and this is what you do with it—denigrate our religion with lies and fake news.”

Another X user, @afrisagacity, wrote: “So, Tinubu has deleted this post after he was caught lying. The President of the ‘Biggest Black Nation’ shared fake news! Of course, nothing will happen. No one will be sacked, queried, or held accountable for such a national embarrassment.”