Odinkalu makes inaccurate claim over Tinubu’s APC campaign council appearance; Presidency reacts

The Presidency has rejected a claim by human rights lawyer and activist Chidi Odinkalu that President Bola Tinubu was not physically present at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Odinkalu alleged that Mr Tinubu’s appearance and speech at the event were pre-recorded, even though political leaders attended the programme and local and international media covered it.

The activist made the claim in an early Thursday post on X, attaching a video of Mr Tinubu speaking at the inauguration.

“It does not require close study of this clip to understand that this was a pre-recorded address. @officialABAT was not at this venue in person,” he wrote.

He added that the transitions in the video were “un-natural,” while describing the camera work as “a production” and the event as “an orchestration.”

“The parties to the crime are many. Let them produce the clip of his promenade & a wide angle,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the APC inaugurated its Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja as the party commenced preparations for the 2027 presidential election.

This newspaper can independently confirm that Mr Tinubu was physically present at the inauguration, contrary to Mr Odinkalu’s claim.

Presidency reacts

In response to the post, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s special adviser on Information and Strategy, accused Mr Odinkalu of letting partisan politics influence his judgement.

“You’ve let partisanship cloud your vision and judgement. You are now a member of the internet mob, eager to disregard the truth and push false narratives online. You should be ashamed of this post,” Mr Onanuga wrote.

Also rejecting the claim, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, described it as an “outrageous claim.”

Mr Keyamo said the allegation reminded him of a conspiracy theory during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari that claimed Mr Buhari had died while receiving medical treatment in London and had been replaced by a body double known as Jubril from Sudan.

“We thought we had seen and heard the worst nonsense from certain characters during the Buhari era when there was a conspiracy theory claiming that former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari died during medical treatment in London in 2017 and was replaced by a cloned body double or lookalike called Jubril from Sudan,” he said.

“Now, some educated fellow (supposedly) comes up with an outrageous claim that the President’s appearance and speech yesterday at the launch of the APC Campaign Council were pre-recorded.

“Meanwhile, both the local and international Press physically covered the event LIVE.

“I really don’t know whether to laugh or to cry.”

Mr Keyamo further accused opposition figures of exhibiting signs of “mental distress,” a comment likely to intensify the political dispute over the claim.

Reactions from X

Several users on X also criticised Mr Odinkalu, questioning why he would allege the President was absent despite media coverage of the event.

One user, @gbengagiwa_tt, said Mr Odinkalu should seek help, arguing that the activist could have confirmed the president’s presence through media organisations that covered the event.

“He has many avenues to confirm the authenticity of the physical appearance of President Tinubu at yesterday’s event, especially from his friend Rufai Oseni @ruffydfire, whose television station, @ARISEtv, covered the event live, yet he chose to take this embarrassing route, despite calling himself a Professor,” the user said.

Another user, @cmpoba, urged Mr Odinkalu to delete the post, asking how Mr Tinubu could have been absent when other attendees interacted with him.

“If President @officialABAT wasn’t there, who did Prof Soludo @CCSoludo, the Anambra State Governor, shake hands with? Everything is not propaganda,” the user said.

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Similarly, @oluomokolade linked Mr Odinkalu’s claim to the earlier conspiracy theories surrounding Mr Buhari’s absence from public events during his administration.

“A group of people groomed with a culture of conspiracy-driven lies and hatred claimed it was Jibrin of Sudan that was in Aso Rock instead of PMB,” the user said.

“That group has started with their mischief again. It’s very pathetic, the extent of hate in them.”

Mr Odinkalu’s claim and the subsequent reactions have renewed debate on social media over the use of unverified allegations in political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections.