On Saturday, the [African Democratic Congress (ADC)](https://www.adc.org.ng) Presidential Campaign Council fired back at Information Minister Dele Alake’s allegations that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was involved in a fabricated letter and video, insisting that no political stunt can hide the public’s anger over soaring living expenses under President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The council highlighted three concrete points: petrol is now selling at roughly ₦1,400 per litre, diesel exceeds ₦2,000 per litre, and food inflation is hovering around 20 percent. It also referenced a World Bank poverty estimate reported by Reuters, which suggests millions of Nigerians are struggling to meet basic needs.
“Until then, his ‘fake news alert’ is an empty political stunt,” said Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC campaign, demanding that Alake provide names, dates and forensic evidence to back his claims.
Shaibu argued that Nigerians are more worried about the cost of food, fuel and transport than any alleged deep‑fake manipulation. He challenged the minister to produce any forensic findings that link Atiku or the ADC to the purported fabricated material.
The statement also questioned the security explanation offered for a vehicle spotted near an APC billboard at Tinubu’s rally in Kaduna, asking why a campaign billboard required such protection. Reports that supporters travelled from distant states only to sleep on the streets of Kaduna were cited, along with unverified accounts of accidents involving APC supporters coming from Sokoto and Abuja.
“Making citizens endure long, hazardous journeys and sleep outdoors simply to create rally optics is political exploitation, not leadership,” Shaibu added, urging the APC to take responsibility for the safety of its supporters.
The council further criticized Tinubu’s reported decision to campaign in only twelve states, alleging that supporters are being shuffled from one rally to another to create an illusion of widespread backing. “You can hire buses, assemble a crowd and plaster the streets with billboards. You cannot hire consent,” Shaibu said.
Ultimately, the ADC warned that the APC’s economic record, not its attacks on the opposition, will determine its electoral fate. “Alake’s attack on Atiku will not reduce the cost of a meal by one naira,” he concluded, expressing confidence that voters will reject the APC and opt for a more affordable future under Atiku’s leadership.
“Bola made life expensive; Atiku will make Nigeria affordable again!” Shaibu declared.