• Phrank Shaibu, ADC's strategic communications director, dismissed Dele Alake's deepfake claims as lacking any supporting evidence • The opposition statement raises questions about an accident reportedly involving APC supporters travelling to a Kaduna rally from Sokoto and Abuja • Tinubu's decision to campaign in only 12 states has drawn scrutiny, with critics questioning whether crowds are being bussed between venues The ADC Presidential Campaign Council has issued a sharp rebuttal to the ruling APC, accusing the Tinubu administration of deflecting from its economic record with unsubstantiated allegations and questionable campaign tactics. In a statement released on 24 October 2026, Phrank Shaibu, the council's Director of Strategic Communication, dismissed claims made by APC spokesman Dele Alake as politically motivated and unsupported by facts. Alake had alleged that Atiku Abubakar and the ADC were behind a "devious plan" involving artificial intelligence manipulation and deepfake content. Shaibu challenged Alake to produce names, dates and forensic findings, saying that without such evidence, the accusation amounted to nothing more than an empty political stunt. The statement directed attention instead to economic indicators it described as self-evident. Petrol prices are currently around ₦1,400 per litre, diesel has surpassed ₦2,000 per litre, and food inflation remains close to 20 per cent. Citing a World Bank estimate reported by Reuters, the ADC noted that more than half of Nigerians were living in poverty last year. Shaibu also challenged the APC's account of a vehicle spotted near one of its campaign billboards in Kaduna, which a party official identified as a routine patrol. More seriously, the statement raised concerns about reports of an accident involving APC supporters travelling to a rally from both Sokoto and Abuja. The ADC acknowledged that details remain unconfirmed but called on the APC to account urgently for the safety of those passengers. Separate reports of supporters sleeping on Kaduna's streets after being brought in from other states were also cited as evidence of what the ADC characterised as political exploitation rather than grassroots mobilisation. The statement further questioned why President Tinubu's campaign trail covers only 12 states, suggesting that the same supporters are being moved from venue to venue along roads the ADC says the government has neglected. "You can hire buses, assemble a crowd and plaster the streets with billboards," Shaibu wrote. "You cannot hire consent." The statement closed with a direct political pitch, contrasting Atiku Abubakar with the incumbent: "Bola made life expensive; Atiku will make Nigeria affordable again!"
Source: Legit.ng
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