The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress of planning to discredit the party’s presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna.
A statement signed by the spokesperson of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Dele Alake, in Abuja, says the alleged campaign of disinformation had been ongoing in the 24 hours preceding the rally.
The statement alleges that the opposition was using fake news, artificial intelligence, deepfake videos and counterfeit documents to manipulate public opinion against the APC, President Bola Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani.
It cites the circulation of a photograph showing a security vehicle stationed at a junction near an APC campaign billboard in Kaduna metropolis.
The statement alleges that the photograph was deliberately presented as evidence that security agents had been deployed to protect APC campaign billboards.
According to the statement, the narrative was subsequently published by a national newspaper before being amplified by Atiku Abubakar on his official social media platforms.
The APC campaign council also dismisses a purported letter allegedly written by Governor Uba Sani to the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
According to the statement, the letter reportedly claimed that the Kaduna State Government had released N2.3 trillion to host the APC presidential campaign rally.
It describes the document as fake and questioned the logic behind the claim, noting that the amount was higher than Kaduna State’s combined budgets for 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The statement says Kaduna State’s budgets for the three years stood at N458.271 billion, N790.439 billion and N985.9 billion respectively, which collectively remained below N2.3 trillion.
The statement further alleges that more old, doctored and deepfake videos could be circulated during the rally to create the impression of public resentment against the APC and its leaders.
It urges Nigerians to be cautious and verify information before accepting or sharing materials relating to the campaign flag-off.
The statement also accuses Atiku and the ADC of seeking to exploit disinformation in their alleged desperation to gain political advantage ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It calls on Nigerians to reject what he described as attempts to manipulate public opinion and undermine the APC campaign, while urging the public to remain vigilant.
