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APC Presidential Campaign Council alleges that Atiku Abubakar and the ADC have hatched a coordinated disinformation campaign to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday.
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Council warns that AI-generated deepfake videos, doctored old footage, counterfeit documents and allegedly planted media reports could be circulated to create an impression of public resentment against Tinubu and the ruling party.
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APC dismisses as fake a purported letter claiming Governor Uba Sani approved N2.3 trillion for the rally, arguing that the amount exceeds Kaduna State’s combined budgets for 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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Ruling party says alleged manipulation of a photograph of a security vehicle near an APC billboard was the opening phase of the purported operation and urges Nigerians to scrutinise materials emerging from the Kaduna rally.
October 24, (THEWILL) – The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has raised the alarm over what it described as a coordinated plot by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his party to sabotage President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday.
The Council alleged that the plot involves the deployment of Artificial Intelligence-generated deepfake videos, doctored footage, counterfeit documents and false information across mainstream and social media platforms to discredit Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, and other leaders of the ruling party.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the APC-PCC said it uncovered what it called a “well-orchestrated, devious plan” ahead of the Kaduna rally, which formally kicks off Tinubu’s nationwide re-election campaign.
“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”, Alake said.
According to the Council, the alleged operation is intended to manipulate public opinion and create a false impression of widespread resentment against Tinubu and the APC as the ruling party begins its campaign for the February 2027 presidential election.
“Through subterfuge and mindless propaganda, the former Vice President and the African Democratic Congress have perfected their plans to misinform and disinform the public, manipulate public opinion through fake news operations and planting of false news in mainstream news platforms and social media with the use of Artificial Intelligence, deepfake videos, and counterfeit documents, all in a bid to discredit the APC rally in Kaduna, President Bola Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani, and leaders of our party”, the statement read.
APC Links Billboard Controversy To Alleged Plot
The Campaign Council said it had already observed what it described as early manifestations of the alleged disinformation operation within the last 24 hours.
It cited the circulation of a photograph showing a security vehicle stationed near an APC campaign billboard at a junction in Kaduna metropolis.
According to the APC-PCC, the vehicle was on routine patrol, and its presence had nothing to do with protecting the campaign billboard.
The Council, however, alleged that the photograph was subsequently used to advance claims that security personnel had been deployed specifically to protect APC billboards in the state.
“Atiku and the ADC propaganda machinery twisted the narrative, claiming the security agents were there to protect the APC billboards in Kaduna”, Alake alleged.
The Council further claimed that the story was subsequently published by a national newspaper before Atiku shared it through his official social media platforms, describing the sequence as coordinated.
“Immediately after the newspaper published the fake, distorted story, Atiku Abubakar, in a coordinated manner, latched onto it and shared it on his official social media handles to generate traffic and trends”, it said.
The allegations are those of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. The statement did not provide independent evidence establishing that Atiku or the ADC created the photograph, directed its circulation or coordinated its publication.
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APC Rejects Purported ₦2.3trn Rally Letter
The Council also rejected as fake a purported letter circulating online which allegedly claimed that Governor Sani had approved the release of ₦2.3 trillion by the Kaduna State Government to finance Saturday’s APC presidential campaign rally.
According to the APC-PCC, the document was purportedly addressed by the governor to the Director-General of the Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
The Council described both the letter and the amount quoted in it as fabricated, arguing that the figure was implausible when compared with Kaduna State’s finances.
“We are still at a loss as to how anyone can imagine and concoct this senseless and utterly baseless lie that defies logic and basic common sense. 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?” Alake said.
The Council cited Kaduna State’s budgets of ₦458.271 billion in 2024, ₦790.439 billion in 2025 and ₦985.9 billion in 2026 to reinforce its argument.
The three figures amount to about ₦2.235 trillion, meaning the purported ₦2.3 trillion rally expenditure would exceed their combined total by roughly ₦65 billion.
“The ₦2.3 trillion that Atiku and his hirelings are circulating online is more than Kaduna State’s annual budget for three years”, the Council said.
Council Warns Of Deepfake Videos
Beyond the two incidents, the APC-PCC warned that it expects allegedly manipulated materials to surface as Saturday’s rally gets underway.
It claimed that old footage could be recirculated as current material, while doctored or AI-generated deepfake videos could be deployed to portray hostility towards Tinubu and the APC in Kaduna.
“We know these two scenarios are only a part of the grand plan. The ADC and Atiku’s hirelings have also perfected plans to circulate old, doctored, and deepfake videos as the rally gets underway later today to show purported resentment by the people”, Alake alleged.
The Campaign Council urged Nigerians, journalists and social media users to exercise caution over photographs, videos, letters and other materials circulated in connection with the rally, particularly where their authenticity cannot immediately be established.
“We hereby use this opportunity to alert the general public about this malicious and ignoble plan”, the statement read.
The APC-PCC also launched a political broadside against Atiku and the ADC, accusing them of resorting to disinformation because they could not defeat the ruling party at the polls.
“It is a fact that Atiku Abubakar and the ADC, his special-purpose vehicle, are incapable of winning any election. They will pull any strings, no matter how despicable and atrocious, to stay afloat in their desperate bid to grab power at all costs. We urge Nigerians to be vigilant and reject their machinations”, it said.
The ADC and Atiku had not responded to the specific allegations contained in the APC-PCC statement at the time of filing this report.
Kaduna Rally Opens Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign
Saturday’s Kaduna rally marks the formal flag-off of Tinubu’s nationwide campaign for a second term and comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.
The choice of Kaduna gives the ruling party an early opportunity to demonstrate its political strength in the North-West, a region traditionally crucial to presidential electoral calculations.
The campaign is being coordinated by the APC Presidential Campaign Council under Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, following the constitution of the Council as the ruling party moved into full campaign mode.
The Kaduna flag-off also comes amid an increasingly bitter contest between the APC and opposition parties over the conduct and credibility of the 2027 election, with political attacks shifting rapidly from conventional campaign platforms to social media.
Atiku is flying the ADC presidential ticket against Tinubu, while Peter Obi is contesting on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), setting the stage for another high-stakes presidential contest.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
