RismadarVoice Reporters
October 24, 2026
The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly paying supporters to attend its Northwest presidential campaign rally in Kaduna State.
The opposition council claimed that the event, held on Saturday to launch President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, recorded disappointing attendance despite extensive mobilisation efforts.
In a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC alleged that individuals were offered between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 each to attend the rally.
Ologbondiyan claimed that several seats at Kaduna Township Stadium remained empty despite efforts to transport supporters from the seven Northwest states and other parts of the country.
He described the gathering as a disappointing demonstration of the ruling party’s claimed political strength in the region.
The opposition spokesperson also questioned the response of attendees to speeches delivered by APC leaders, alleging that the audience appeared largely unenthusiastic.
According to him, political gatherings organised through financial inducements cannot reliably demonstrate genuine public support.
“You can rent a crowd, but you cannot rent acceptance,” Ologbondiyan said.
The ADC-PCC further alleged that some participants expressed dissatisfaction with the APC after leaving the venue, reportedly chanting “Ba mu yi,” a Hausa expression conveying rejection.
These claims, including the alleged payments and reported chants, have not been independently verified.
The council also criticised Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidies and the resulting financial pressures experienced by households.
It accused the ruling party of repeating earlier campaign promises without adequately accounting for its performance in government.
Ologbondiyan urged the APC to address economic concerns rather than rely on political rallies to demonstrate public acceptance.
The statement comes amid escalating exchanges between the two major political camps ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Earlier on Saturday, the APC Presidential Campaign Council accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the ADC of attempting to discredit the Kaduna rally through fabricated documents, manipulated images and misleading information.
APC campaign spokesperson Dele Alake rejected claims surrounding the event’s funding and warned against the circulation of unverified materials.
The ADC separately challenged the ruling party to provide evidence supporting those allegations.
Both parties have continued to dispute each other’s accounts of the campaign activities as political mobilisation intensifies nationwide.
The actual attendance at the Kaduna rally and allegations of payments to participants remain unverified.
