The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of allegedly orchestrating a campaign to discredit the ruling party’s presidential campaign rally in Kaduna State.
The APC PCC said the alleged plan involved the circulation of fake news, artificial intelligence-generated content, deepfake videos, and counterfeit documents intended to mislead Nigerians and damage the party’s image ahead of its presidential campaign flag-off on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Naija News reports that APC PCC spokesperson Dele Alake made the allegations in a statement issued on Saturday, warning Nigerians to be cautious about information circulating on mainstream media platforms and social media.
According to Alake, the council had identified what it described as a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting President Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, and other APC leaders.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
APC Raises Alarm Over Alleged Fake News Campaign
In the statement, the APC PCC claimed that the alleged disinformation campaign began with the circulation of a photograph showing a security vehicle stationed at a junction near an APC campaign billboard in Kaduna metropolis.
According to the council, the image was subsequently used to suggest that security operatives had been deployed specifically to protect the party’s campaign billboards.
The APC dismissed that interpretation, maintaining that the security vehicle was conducting a routine patrol in the area.
Alake further alleged that the narrative was published by a national newspaper before Atiku shared the report through his official social media accounts.
The council described the development as part of an alleged coordinated effort to generate negative publicity for the APC’s presidential campaign activities in Kaduna.
However, the claims about the alleged coordination and intentions behind the publication and subsequent social media posts have not been independently established.
APC Denies Kaduna Government Spent ₦2.3 Trillion on Rally
The APC PCC also raised concerns over a letter circulating online that was purportedly written by Governor Uba Sani and addressed to Senator Abdulaziz Yari, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
According to the council, the document allegedly claimed that the Kaduna State Government had released ₦2.3 trillion to host the APC presidential campaign rally.
Alake dismissed the purported expenditure as false, questioning the plausibility of a state government spending such an amount on a political rally.
To support its argument, the APC spokesperson cited Kaduna State’s budget figures for 2024, 2025, and 2026.
He stated that the state’s budgets for the three years stood at ₦458.271 billion, ₦790.439 billion, and ₦985.9 billion, respectively.
According to the figures presented by the APC PCC, the combined budgets for the three years amounted to less than ₦2.3 trillion.
The council maintained that the purported letter was fabricated and intended to create public outrage over the cost of hosting the rally.
The authenticity of the circulating document and the circumstances surrounding its publication were not independently established in the statement.
APC Warns of Possible Deepfake Videos
The ruling party’s campaign council further alleged that additional misleading materials could emerge as the Kaduna rally progressed.
Alake claimed that individuals allegedly involved in the operation planned to circulate old footage, manipulated videos, and deepfake content to create the impression that residents were opposed to the APC and its campaign activities.
The council warned that such materials could mislead the public and distort perceptions of the rally’s reception among residents.
It urged Nigerians to exercise caution when consuming political content online, particularly videos, photographs, letters, and reports whose authenticity cannot be readily established.
The allegations come amid growing concerns about the potential use of artificial intelligence and manipulated digital content to influence public opinion and political narratives.
However, the APC PCC did not publicly establish the identities of those allegedly behind the purported operation in the statement.
APC Accuses Atiku, ADC of Political Disinformation
In its statement, the APC PCC accused Atiku and the ADC of attempting to undermine the ruling party’s campaign activities through what it described as coordinated propaganda.
The council also criticised the opposition party and its presidential candidate, alleging that they were prepared to use misleading information to gain political advantage.
Alake urged Nigerians to reject what the council characterised as deliberate attempts to manipulate public opinion.
The statement read in part: “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, Saturday, October 24th, 2026.”
The spokesperson added that the alleged operation involved attempts to misinform the public through fake news, deepfake videos, and counterfeit documents.
The accusations represent the APC PCC’s position on the controversy. Atiku Abubakar and the ADC’s response to the specific allegations was not included in the statement provided.
What Nigerians Should Know About the Kaduna Rally Controversy
The controversy centres on three main claims raised by the APC PCC: the interpretation of a photograph showing a security vehicle near an APC billboard, a purported letter alleging that ₦2.3 trillion was released to host the rally, and concerns about the possible circulation of manipulated videos.
While the APC has described these developments as evidence of an alleged disinformation campaign, the claims require independent verification before conclusions can be drawn about the authenticity of the materials or the involvement of the individuals named.
Members of the public are advised to verify political reports against reliable sources, examine the original context of photographs and videos, and avoid sharing documents whose origins cannot be confirmed.
The APC PCC said it issued the warning to alert Nigerians to what it described as a plan to undermine the party’s presidential campaign activities in Kaduna State.
The council called on the public to remain vigilant as political activities continue.