Tinubu's economic record cannot be hidden by Deepfake claims, ADC tells APC

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s campaign of attempting to divert attention from the administration’s economic record through allegations of artificial intelligence (AI) manipulation and deepfakes against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the opposition party.

The party said the allegations, contained in a statement issued by Dele Alake, were not supported by evidence linking Atiku or the ADC to the alleged letter or fabricated video.

Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, stated this in a statement on Saturday.

He challenged Alake to provide evidence, including names, dates and forensic findings, to substantiate the allegations.

“Until then, his ‘fake news alert’ is an empty political stunt,” Mr Shaibu said.

He accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of using allegations of misinformation to divert attention from the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

The ADC campaign official cited rising fuel prices, high transportation costs and food inflation as evidence of what he described as the administration’s failure to improve living conditions.

He claimed that petrol was selling for N1,400 per litre, while diesel had exceeded N2,000 per litre.

Mr Shaibu also referred to a World Bank poverty estimate reported by Reuters, arguing that the economic situation had left millions of Nigerians struggling to meet their basic needs.

He said the hardship experienced by households could not be dismissed as fake news or political propaganda.

The ADC official also questioned the explanation by the Tinubu campaign that a vehicle seen near an APC campaign billboard was part of a routine patrol.

He asked why a campaign billboard required such protection and cited reports that some APC supporters brought to Kaduna from other states had been left sleeping on the streets.

Mr Shaibu further referred to reports of accidents involving APC supporters travelling from Sokoto and Abuja to attend the rally, saying the details remained unconfirmed.

He called on the APC to account for the safety of the passengers.

The campaign official accused the ruling party of prioritising the appearance of large crowds at its rallies over the welfare of supporters transported from distant locations.

“Making citizens endure long, hazardous journeys and sleep outdoors simply to create rally optics is political exploitation, not leadership,” he said.

Mr Shaibu also questioned the geographical spread of Tinubu’s campaign activities, claiming that the president was campaigning in only 12 states.

He alleged that the same supporters were being moved from one rally to another to create an impression of widespread support for the APC.

The ADC official argued that the practice, if established, would not necessarily reflect spontaneous public support for the ruling party.

“You can hire buses, assemble a crowd and plaster the streets with billboards. You cannot hire consent,” he said.

He maintained that rising prices, declining purchasing power and what he described as broken promises had weakened public confidence in the APC administration.

Mr Shaibu added that attacks against Atiku would not address the economic challenges confronting Nigerians.

“The APC’s failures are sweeping, painful and indefensible,” he said, accusing the administration of leaving families struggling with the rising costs of food and transportation.

He predicted that Nigerians would reject the APC at the polls, insisting that political messaging could not shield the ruling party from accountability for its record in government.

Mr Shaibu concluded with the campaign slogan: “Bola made life expensive; Atiku will make Nigeria affordable again!”

The statement did not include supporting documentation for its claims the alleged deepfake controversy, the reported accidents involving rally supporters or the number of states covered by Tinubu’s campaign.

The APC’s response to the allegations contained in the ADC statement was not included in the material provided.