ADC tells APC to prove deepfake claim against Atiku, points to hardship

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to produce evidence for its claim that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the opposition planned to use deepfake videos and fake documents to discredit the APC's presidential campaign rally in Kaduna.

The ADC's Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, made the demand in a statement on Saturday, according to Punch and Legit.ng. He was responding to an earlier allegation by APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Dele Alake.

Alake had accused Atiku and the ADC of planning to spread artificial intelligence-generated videos, fake documents and misinformation against the Kaduna rally. He also alleged the opposition circulated a letter said to show the Kaduna State Government approved ₦2.3tn to host the event, along with images suggesting security personnel were guarding campaign billboards.

What each side is saying

Shaibu said Alake offered no evidence linking Atiku or the ADC to the alleged letter or any fabricated video. He asked the APC to produce names, dates and forensic findings, calling the allegation an empty political stunt until then.

He argued the ruling party did not need a conspiracy to explain public anger, pointing to petrol at about ₦1,400 per litre, diesel above ₦2,000 per litre and food inflation close to 20 per cent. He also cited a World Bank estimate, reported by Reuters, that more than half of Nigerians lived in poverty last year.

Shaibu questioned the APC's explanation that a security vehicle photographed near one of its billboards in Kaduna was on routine patrol. He also raised reports that supporters brought in from other states for the rally slept on Kaduna streets, and said there were unconfirmed reports of an accident involving supporters travelling from Sokoto and Abuja. He called on the APC to account for the passengers' safety.

He further questioned why President Bola Tinubu's campaign is covering only 12 states, suggesting crowds are being moved from one venue to another. "You can hire buses, assemble a crowd and plaster the streets with billboards," he said. "You cannot hire consent."

The statement ended with a pitch for Atiku, saying he would make Nigeria affordable again.

What happens next

The APC has not responded to the demand for evidence in the reports seen so far. With campaigns under way, both parties are likely to keep trading accusations over the Kaduna rally and the cost of living, issues that matter directly to households across the country.