Kaduna Rally: ADC Alleges APC Paid Attendees Up To ₦100,000, Mocks Sparse Turnout

According to a report by Vanguard on Saturday, October 24, 2026, the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of paying attendees between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 to boost attendance at its presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, alleging that the event still attracted a sparse crowd.

The ADC campaign council, through its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the rally failed to demonstrate the level of political support the ruling party had hoped to project across the North-West region.

According to the opposition party, the Kaduna Township Stadium, which it estimated could accommodate 5,000 people, remained largely unoccupied despite alleged mobilisation efforts involving people from the seven North-West states and other parts of the country.

“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.

The ADC also criticised the response to speeches delivered by APC leaders, describing the reception as lacking enthusiasm and inconsistent with the ruling party’s claims of widespread support in the region.

The council further questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s account of his administration’s achievements, including road projects reportedly commissioned during the rally. It accused the President of failing to adequately address the economic difficulties facing Nigerians.

The opposition party linked the hardship to government policies, particularly petrol subsidy removal, which it said had increased pressure on households already struggling with rising living costs. It also accused the APC of repeating campaign promises made during the 2015, 2019 and 2023 election cycles without sufficiently accounting for its years in power.

The ADC alleged that some rally attendees expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling party after leaving the venue, chanting “Ba mu yi,” a Hausa expression the council interpreted as a rejection of the APC and its policies.

It urged the ruling party to apologise to Nigerians over the economic situation, abandon what it described as wasteful political gatherings and prepare for a peaceful transfer of power in 2027.

The council maintained that the ADC represented a credible alternative and expressed confidence that voters would determine the ruling party’s fate in the next general election.

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