The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of allegedly orchestrating a disinformation campaign to discredit the party’s presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday.
The council alleged that the opposition planned to deploy artificial intelligence-generated content, deepfake videos, doctored footage and counterfeit documents to undermine President Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and other APC leaders.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, October 24, 2026, the council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, said the alleged campaign had already begun with the circulation of misleading claims about security arrangements around APC campaign billboards and a purported ₦2.3 trillion expenditure by the Kaduna State Government to host the rally.
Alake described the alleged operation as a coordinated attempt to manipulate public opinion ahead of the campaign event.
“We have uncovered a well-orchestrated, devious plan by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his party to discredit the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna today,” he said.
According to the APC spokesman, the first alleged incident involved a photograph of a security vehicle on routine patrol near one of the party’s campaign billboards in Kaduna metropolis.
He accused Atiku and the ADC of twisting the circumstances surrounding the photograph to suggest that security personnel had been deployed specifically to protect APC billboards.
Alake further alleged that, after a national newspaper published a report based on the disputed narrative, Atiku amplified the story through his official social media accounts.
The APC campaign council did not provide independent evidence in the statement to substantiate its allegation that Atiku or the ADC orchestrated the publication or manipulated the photograph.
The council also alleged that a letter circulating online, purportedly written by Governor Uba Sani to the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, claimed that the Kaduna State Government had released ₦2.3 trillion to host the rally.
Dismissing the document as fabricated, Alake questioned the plausibility of the amount, arguing that it exceeded the combined budgets of Kaduna State for three consecutive years.
“How much is the entire annual revenue of Kaduna State, or any state, for that matter, that a state would spend ₦2.3 trillion to host a rally?” he asked.
He cited Kaduna State’s budgets of ₦458.271 billion for 2024, ₦790.439 billion for 2025 and ₦985.9 billion for 2026, arguing that their combined total remained below the alleged rally expenditure.
The APC spokesman, however, did not present forensic evidence establishing the purported letter’s origin or authenticity in the statement.
Alake further claimed that the alleged disinformation operation could continue during the rally, with old footage, doctored videos and deepfakes purportedly circulated to create the impression that residents were opposed to the APC campaign.
“We hereby use this opportunity to alert the general public about this malicious and ignoble plan,” he said, urging Nigerians to exercise caution over information circulating online.
The allegations come amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general election, with political parties stepping up their campaigns and public messaging.
Alake also launched a political attack on Atiku and the ADC, alleging that they would resort to any means necessary in their quest for power.
The controversy underscores the growing significance of digital misinformation, manipulated images and AI-generated content in political communication, particularly as parties seek to shape public perceptions of campaign events.
