Disputes Over Attendance at October 24 Rally
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) traded accusations following President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday, October 24. The event took place at the Kaduna Township Stadium, where the ruling party sought to launch its presidential bid.
Following the rally, ADC Presidential Campaign Council Director of Media and Publicity Kola Ologbondiyan alleged that the venue was sparsely occupied despite extensive mobilization efforts from across the North-West states. Ologbondiyan claimed that attendees reportedly received payments ranging between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 each for their presence at the event.
Addressing the nature of the gathering, Ologbondiyan stated, “You can rent a crowd, but you cannot rent acceptance.” He further criticized President Tinubu’s handling of the economy, specifically citing the removal of the fuel subsidy and the resulting cost-of-living pressures as key issues.
Reports noting these allegations of payments to attendees have not been independently established in reviewed reports. The claims remain specific to the ADC’s media director.
Ruling Party Alleges AI Disinformation Campaign
In response to the opposition’s criticisms, APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson Dele Alake accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the ADC of utilizing manipulated photographs, counterfeit documents, AI-generated content, and deepfake videos to discredit the event.
Alake specifically addressed online narratives regarding security at the rally. He alleged that a photograph showing a security vehicle near an APC billboard was misrepresented online as evidence of public anger requiring protection. According to Alake, this visual was used to support false claims about the atmosphere at the stadium.
The APC also challenged a purported letter attributed to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani. The document claimed that ₦2.3 trillion was released to host the rally. Alake described this document as fabricated, noting that the amount exceeded the state’s combined budgets for 2024, 2025, and 2026.