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Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has accused opposition parties of relying on artificial intelligence (AI) for their campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election, urging supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remain vigilant against misleading political content.
Sani made the allegation on Saturday during the APC presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, where he also defended the infrastructure record of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and challenged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to demonstrate the road projects he facilitated during his eight years in office. Blueprint reports
The governor argued that political campaigns should be built around verifiable achievements and direct engagement with voters rather than what he described as AI-driven messaging without sufficient grassroots mobilisation.
“The opposition have now upgraded their campaign from Facebook and Twitter to AI,” he said.
He urged APC supporters to scrutinise information circulating online as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.
“The opposition are only campaigning with an AI, no any real campaign,” Sani added.
The governor, however, did not identify specific opposition parties or provide examples of campaign materials he believed had been generated using artificial intelligence.
Sani challenges Atiku over road projects
The Kaduna governor also used the rally to question Atiku’s record as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, challenging him to identify road projects he helped deliver for Northern Nigeria during the period.
Sani contrasted the former vice-president’s tenure with what he described as the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure achievements, particularly in the North-East.
He said the current administration had undertaken extensive road construction in the region and maintained that Vice-President Kashim Shettima would be remembered for his contribution to those efforts.
The governor said he had told Shettima that history would judge his role in the administration favourably.
“And I dare say that even Mr Vice-President sitting there, I was talking to him at the airport. And I told him, history will remember him, and will be kind to him,” Sani said.
He challenged Atiku to demonstrate comparable achievements from his years in office.
“Can you show us 200 kilometres of road that he himself was able to at least help the people of the North-East when he was the vice-president?” he asked.
Sani argued that political leaders seeking the support of Northern voters should be prepared to account for their records in public office rather than rely on regional sentiments or campaign rhetoric.
His comments placed infrastructure development at the centre of the political contest, with the governor presenting road construction under Tinubu as a basis for assessing the administration’s performance.
Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway reconstruction
Sani also praised Tinubu for supporting the reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway, describing the route as strategically important to the economic and social integration of Northern Nigeria.
According to the governor, the project was nearing completion, following earlier challenges involving insecurity and funding.
He recalled drawing the President’s attention to the importance of the highway during a meeting about two years ago and commended the Federal Government for proceeding with the reconstruction.
The governor said the road connected states across the North-West, North-Central and North-East, while providing a major link between the northern and southern parts of the country.
He also expressed satisfaction with the security situation along the route, saying many people who travelled to Kaduna for the rally had used the highway without reporting kidnapping incidents during their journeys.
Sani presented the project as an example of the infrastructure interventions that, in his view, should inform voters’ assessment of the administration.
Governor highlights federal interventions
Beyond road construction, Sani commended the Tinubu administration for its interventions in transportation, education, vocational training, healthcare and agriculture.
He expressed appreciation to the President for selecting Kaduna as the pilot state for the proposed metropolitan Red Line rail project.
The governor said the initiative would improve transportation within the Kaduna metropolis and described it as an important investment in the state’s development.
He also referred to federal support for student financing and technical and vocational training, arguing that such programmes could expand opportunities for young people and improve their prospects for economic advancement.
On agriculture, Sani praised the administration’s support for state governments, describing the sector as a major pillar of the Nigerian economy.
He said sustained investment in agriculture was necessary to improve productivity and create opportunities for farmers and other participants in the agricultural value chain.
The governor further commended the reopening of primary healthcare centres in Kaduna State, presenting access to essential health services as another area of public importance.
Tinubu seeks second term
The rally also provided a platform for Tinubu to appeal to voters to renew his mandate for another four years.
In his address, the President thanked Kaduna residents for supporting him during the 2023 presidential election and said he had returned to seek their votes again.
He promised continuity, prosperity and progress, while blaming opposition politicians for the hunger and poverty they had criticised.
“I hear my opponent talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger. They created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” Tinubu said.
The President defended his administration’s record on workers’ welfare, saying salaries were being paid regularly, and commended APC governors for their performance in their respective states.
He urged eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate in the election, calling for support for APC candidates contesting the presidency, governorships, Senate, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly.
Tinubu also referred to the removal of the petrol subsidy and pledged to tackle corruption and smuggling, presenting these issues as part of the changes under his administration.
APC intensifies mobilisation
Sani thanked Tinubu, party leaders, governors and other dignitaries who attended the Kaduna rally, describing the gathering as an important step in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 election.
He said the turnout demonstrated the enthusiasm of party supporters and expressed confidence that the support shown during the President’s visit would translate into votes.
The governor urged APC members to remain committed to the party’s campaign and to scrutinise information shared online, particularly as AI tools become increasingly accessible.
While artificial intelligence can be used to generate text, images, audio and video, Sani did not present specific evidence to substantiate his allegation that opposition parties were relying on AI instead of grassroots campaigning.
The allegation, alongside his challenge to Atiku over road infrastructure, formed part of the governor’s broader argument that the forthcoming election should be contested on the basis of political records, development projects and competing claims about governance.
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