Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has renewed his criticism of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the ruling party of prioritising campaign publicity over the safety and welfare of Nigerians.
Atiku’s latest remarks came a day after he questioned the reported deployment of security personnel to protect Tinubu’s campaign billboards in Kaduna State, a development that has triggered a political exchange ahead of the APC’s 2027 presidential campaign flag-off.
Newsflash reported that on Friday, October 23, Atiku challenged the President to address Nigeria’s security challenges with the same urgency allegedly given to protecting his campaign materials.
“Bola, you claim Nigerians love you, yet your billboards in Kaduna require security guards. Bandits raid villages, terrorists attack communities, and families live in fear,” the former vice-president wrote.
He added, “Your posters enjoy protection that millions of Nigerians can only dream of. What a tragic statement of your government’s priorities. Bola, please protect Nigerians with the same urgency you protect your image!”
The comments followed reports that security personnel had been deployed around Tinubu’s campaign billboards and posters in Kaduna ahead of the APC rally scheduled for Saturday, October 24.
Alake accuses Atiku, ADC of planned disinformation
In a statement issued on Saturday, the spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, accused Atiku and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of allegedly orchestrating a campaign to discredit Tinubu and the party’s rally in Kaduna.
Alake alleged that the opposition planned to circulate misleading reports, artificial intelligence-generated content, deepfake videos and counterfeit documents to influence public opinion.
“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,” he said.
According to Alake, the alleged operation began with the circulation of a photograph showing a security vehicle stationed near an APC campaign billboard in Kaduna metropolis.
He said, “Atiku and the ADC propaganda machinery twisted the narrative, claiming the security agents were there to protect the APC billboards in Kaduna.”
The APC spokesman further alleged that a purported letter claiming that the Kaduna State Government released N2.3 trillion to host the rally was circulated online
Alake questioned the credibility of the document, asking, “How much is the entire annual revenue of Kaduna State, or any state, for that matter, that a state would spend N2.3 trillion to host a rally?”
He maintained that the alleged activities were part of an attempt to undermine the ruling party’s campaign and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against disinformation.
Atiku’s camp responds, demands evidence
Reacting to the APC spokesman’s statement, Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, dismissed the allegations as an attempt to divert attention from the ruling party’s record.
In a statement dated October 24, Shaibu challenged Alake to provide evidence linking Atiku and the ADC to the alleged circulation of fabricated content
“He accuses Atiku Abubakar and the ADC of a ‘devious plan,’ AI manipulation and deepfakes, yet offers no evidence linking them to the alleged letter or any fabricated video,” Shaibu said.
He added, “Alake should produce the evidence: names, dates and forensic findings. Until then, his ‘fake news alert’ is an empty political stunt.”
Read also: “Bola or Ebola: Where Did the ₦10 Go? Atiku Questions Tinubu over Ebola Missing Funds
Shaibu also defended Atiku’s criticism of the security arrangements around Tinubu’s campaign materials, arguing that the controversy should not overshadow the security challenges facing Nigerians.
“Bola can dismiss the images, but he cannot dismiss the reports of supporters brought in from distant states and left sleeping on Kaduna’s streets,” he said.
He further referred to reports of accidents involving APC supporters travelling from Sokoto and Abuja to the rally, while acknowledging that details remained unconfirmed.
“Details remain unconfirmed, and the APC must urgently account for the passengers’ safety,” Shaibu added.
The ADC campaign official accused the ruling party of placing greater importance on the appearance of its rallies than on the welfare of supporters.
“Making citizens endure long, hazardous journeys and sleep outdoors simply to create rally optics is political exploitation, not leadership,” he said.
‘You cannot hire consent’ — Atiku’s camp
Shaibu also questioned the scale and organisation of Tinubu’s campaign activities, alleging that supporters were being transported between states to create the impression of widespread public support.
He said, “You can hire buses, assemble a crowd and plaster the streets with billboards. You cannot hire consent.”
The ADC spokesman further argued that the administration’s economic record would remain a major issue in the political contest.
“The APC’s failures are sweeping, painful and indefensible,” he said, adding that the party’s promises had given way to “a miserable reality of expensive food, unaffordable transport and families forced to make do with less.”
Shaibu concluded his statement with a direct criticism of the ruling party’s response to Atiku’s remarks.
“Alake’s attack on Atiku will not reduce the cost of a meal by one naira,” he said.
He added, “At the polls, Nigerians will reject this discredited record and defeat the APC. No volume of propaganda can talk the party out of the reckoning it has earned.”
The statement ended with the campaign slogan: “Bola made life expensive; Atiku will make Nigeria affordable again!”
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