Adebayo Adenrele
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of allegedly plotting to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday.
In a statement issued on October 24, 2026, the council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, alleged that the opposition planned to circulate fake news, artificial intelligence-generated content, deepfake videos and counterfeit documents to undermine the rally and portray the APC leadership negatively.
Alake cited reports about security personnel allegedly guarding APC billboards in Kaduna and a purported letter claiming that the Kaduna State Government released ₦2.3 trillion to host the rally. He dismissed the alleged expenditure as false, arguing that the amount exceeded the state’s combined budgets for 2024, 2025 and 2026.
According to the statement, Kaduna State’s budgets for the three years stood at ₦458.271 billion, ₦790.439 billion and ₦985.9 billion, respectively. The campaign council warned that more allegedly doctored videos and documents could emerge during the rally and urged Nigerians to verify information before sharing it.
The APC also accused Atiku and the ADC of attempting to manipulate public opinion ahead of the 2027 general election. However, the allegations contained in the statement were not independently verified, and the council did not provide evidence establishing that Atiku or the ADC orchestrated the alleged disinformation campaign.
Meanwhile, supporters of APC thronged Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna State for the flag-off of Tinubu’s campaign for a second term in office.
The supporters, dressed in party-branded outfits and waving APC flags, sang and chanted solidarity slogans while awaiting the arrival of the President and other party leaders.
Major roads leading to the stadium were barricaded, while the venue’s seating sections and main bowl were filled with supporters who began arriving as early as 7am.
