ADC campaign tells Alake to prove Atiku deepfake claims, says food prices matter more
- The ADC campaign council has asked Information Minister Dele Alake to back his allegations against Atiku Abubakar with evidence.
- It said Nigerians care more about food, fuel and transport costs than claims about deepfakes and fake documents.
- Alake had accused Atiku and the ADC of using fabricated content to discredit President Tinubu and other APC leaders.
The campaign team of African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has hit back at Information Minister Dele Alake, demanding he back up his allegations against Atiku with hard evidence.
Alake had accused Atiku and the ADC of running what he called fake news operations, including artificial intelligence-generated content, deepfake videos and forged documents, to damage President Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and other APC leaders.
In a statement on Saturday, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council said the minister should name names, give dates and release forensic findings if his claims are to be taken seriously.
Phrank Shaibu, the council's Director of Strategic Communication, said no amount of political messaging can hide the pressure Nigerians face over the cost of living.
Until then, his 'fake news alert' is an empty political stunt,
Shaibu said, according to the statement.
Prices, not deepfakes
The council argued that households are worried about the price of a meal, petrol and transport, not about claims of manipulated videos and letters.
It cited petrol at about ₦1,400 per litre, diesel above ₦2,000 and food inflation of around 20 per cent, saying these pressures are real and cannot be waved away as fabricated information.
The statement also referred to a World Bank poverty estimate reported by Reuters, arguing that millions of Nigerians are struggling under the current economic direction.
Shaibu added that Alake's attack on Atiku will not reduce the cost of a meal by one naira.
Questions over Kaduna rally
The council also raised questions about Tinubu's campaign rally in Kaduna. It asked why a vehicle seen near an APC billboard was described as being on routine patrol, and why a campaign billboard would need such protection.
It also referred to reports that supporters travelled from far states and were left sleeping on Kaduna streets, and to reports of accidents involving APC supporters coming from Sokoto and Abuja. It said details of the accidents remained unconfirmed.
Shaibu urged the APC to account for the safety of people travelling to its campaign events, describing long, risky journeys and sleeping outdoors for rally crowds as exploitation rather than leadership.
The council also questioned Tinubu's reported plan to campaign in only 12 states, alleging that supporters are being moved from one rally to another to create the impression of broad support.
It said the APC's economic record, rather than attacks on the opposition, will decide how Nigerians vote, and promised a different economic direction under Atiku.
What happens next: The claims on both sides remain allegations. Alake has not yet responded publicly to the demand for evidence, and the reported accidents have not been confirmed by the authorities.
