ADC Challenges APC to Prove Claims of Deepfake Video Plot

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to provide proof of its claim that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the ADC planned to use deepfake videos and fake documents to undermine the APC’s presidential campaign in Kaduna.

The ADC criticized President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, saying that rising living costs and lower purchasing power are the real reasons for public dissatisfaction, not supposed opposition propaganda. Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, made these statements in response to allegations made by Dele Alake, the APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson.

Alake accused Atiku and the ADC of intending to spread artificial intelligence-generated videos and misinformation to discredit the APC’s campaign. He also claimed that the opposition circulated a fake letter stating that the Kaduna State Government had allocated ₦2.3 trillion for the rally.

Shaibu dismissed these allegations as a tactic to distract from the APC’s governance record, insisting that Alake had not provided any evidence linking Atiku or the ADC to the alleged fabrications. He stated, “Alake should produce the evidence: names, dates and forensic findings.”

Shaibu argued that the APC’s issues are evident in the economic struggles faced by Nigerians, such as high petrol prices and food inflation. He noted that over half of Nigerians were living in poverty last year, according to the World Bank.

He also raised concerns about the safety of APC supporters who traveled long distances for the rally, highlighting reports of supporters being left to sleep on the streets and an accident involving some attendees. Shaibu criticized the ruling party for prioritizing the appearance of a large crowd over the well-being of its supporters.

In closing, Shaibu expressed confidence that Nigerians would vote against the APC due to its poor performance, stating, “No volume of propaganda can talk the party out of the reckoning it has earned.”