ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, ADC-PCC, has ridiculed the All Progressives Congress, APC, over its Northwest zonal flag-off rally in Kaduna, which it described as a flop, saying the rented crowds and empty seats revealed the ruling party’s waning popularity.
According to the council, the rally, which was meant to demonstrate the APC’s dominance in the Northwest, failed to meet expectations despite the reported mobilisation of supporters from all seven states in the zone and beyond.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC claimed that attendees were allegedly paid between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 each, yet the Kaduna Township Stadium — which it said has a capacity of 5,000 — was still sparsely filled.
“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 also criticised the reception given to speeches by APC leaders, describing it as lukewarm and inconsistent with the ruling party’s attempt to project political strength in the region.
The ADC-PCC also questioned President Bola Tinubu’s performance claims, faulting his reported commissioning of road projects at the rally.
Ologbondiyan alleged that some attendees expressed dissatisfaction with the APC after leaving the stadium, chanting “Ba mu yi,” a Hausa expression he interpreted as a rejection of the ruling party and its policies.
“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 council accused the APC of repeating promises from the 2015, 2019 and 2023 election cycles without giving a proper account of its years in power.
It further accused Tinubu of shifting blame for Nigerians’ economic hardship to opposition leaders rather than tackling the fallout of his administration’s policies, especially the fuel subsidy removal, which it said had deepened the strain on households facing rising living costs.
The ADC-PCC called on the ruling party to abandon what it described as wasteful political jamborees, apologise to Nigerians over the current economic hardship and prepare for a smooth handover of power in 2027.
The council maintained that the ADC presents a credible alternative to the APC, expressing confidence that voters will reject the ruling party in the next general election.
“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.