A picture showing the Senator representing Delta South Senatorial District, James Manager, kneeling before a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has gone viral on social media, eliciting reactions from many Nigerians.

In the picture, Senator Manager is seen wearing an Ankara outfit with a face mask below his chin and his hands folded while Ibori in a blue outfit sits on a red and black couch.

Ibori was governor of the oil-rich Delta State from 1999 to 2007 but was later convicted for embezzling billions of state funds while Manager has been a senator since 2003 and is one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the country.

Ibori has, however, remained influential in the state despite his criminal record.

Confirming the authenticity of the photo, an associate of the senator told The PUNCH that it was just a sign of respect in Urhobo culture.

He said, “Senator went to visit him on Wednesday. Ibori is a senior, a king and an elder to him, being his former boss. Whenever you go to pay homage to an Urhobo elder or someone you hold in high esteem, you kneel down. It is a sign of appreciation for people to show who the person is to you. Things are just being twisted on social media. It is a personal relationship. You don’t expect the senator to stand up to address Ibori.

“Senator came to pay homage to him because he had not seen Ibori in a long time and he took drinks. Those are the drinks you see on the table in the picture.”