The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly paying people between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 each to attend its Northwest zonal campaign flag-off rally in Kaduna State.
The council claimed that despite the alleged payments and mobilisation of attendees from across the seven states of the Northwest and beyond, the rally at the Kaduna Township Stadium recorded a disappointing turnout.
In a statement reacting to the event, the ADC-PCC Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the rally as a failed attempt by the ruling party to demonstrate its political strength in the region.
According to him, the sparse attendance contradicted the APC’s expectations for an event intended to showcase its popularity ahead of the 2027 general election.
“For a rally billed as the Northwest zonal flag-off, what we witnessed was a shameful spectacle. Despite the alleged mobilisation of crowds from across the zone and beyond, the stadium remained scantily filled, with empty seats everywhere,” Ologbondiyan said.
He further criticised the reception given to speeches by APC leaders, describing the crowd’s response as unenthusiastic and suggesting that the ruling party was losing public acceptance.
The ADC-PCC spokesman also questioned President Bola Tinubu’s reported commissioning of road projects during the event, arguing that the exercise raised concerns about the administration’s claims of achievement.
Ologbondiyan additionally alleged that some rally attendees expressed dissatisfaction with the APC after leaving the venue, chanting “Ba mu yi,” a Hausa expression he interpreted as a rejection of the ruling party and its policies.
He maintained that attendance at political rallies did not necessarily translate into genuine electoral support.
“You can rent a crowd, but you cannot rent acceptance. Even if people attend a rally, that does not mean they have surrendered their convictions. The real test of public support is what Nigerians will decide at the ballot box,” he said.
The opposition campaign council accused the APC of repeating promises made during the 2015, 2019 and 2023 election cycles without adequately accounting for its years in power.
It also criticised Tinubu for allegedly blaming opposition leaders for Nigeria’s economic difficulties rather than taking responsibility for the consequences of his administration’s policies.
The council singled out the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that the policy had increased the financial pressure on households already grappling with rising living costs.
It consequently called on the ruling party to discontinue what it described as wasteful political jamborees, apologise to Nigerians over the prevailing economic hardship and begin preparing for what it termed an orderly transfer of power in 2027.
The ADC-PCC further presented the ADC as a credible alternative, expressing confidence that voters would use the next general election to register their dissatisfaction with the APC-led administration.
“The message from Kaduna is loud and clear: Nigerians are saying ‘Ba mu yi’ to the APC and Tinubu. Come 2027, they will speak even louder with their votes,” Ologbondiyan declared.
The APC had yet to respond to the specific allegations of payments to rally attendees contained in the ADC-PCC statement at the time of this report.
