The Presidency has rejected a claim by human rights lawyer and activist Chidi Odinkalu that President Bola Tinubu was not bodily current on the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mr Odinkalu alleged that Mr Tinubu’s look and speech on the occasion had been pre-recorded, although political leaders attended the programme and native and worldwide media lined it.
The activist made the claim in an early Thursday put up on X, attaching a video of Mr Tinubu talking on the inauguration.
“It does not require close study of this clip to understand that this was a pre-recorded address. @officialABAT was not at this venue in person,” he wrote.
He added that the transitions within the video had been “un-natural,” whereas describing the digital camera work as “a production” and the occasion as “an orchestration.”
“The parties to the crime are many. Let them produce the clip of his promenade & a wide angle,” he mentioned.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the APC inaugurated its Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday on the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja because the social gathering commenced preparations for the 2027 presidential election.
This newspaper can independently affirm that Mr Tinubu was bodily current on the inauguration, opposite to Mr Odinkalu’s claim.
Presidency reacts
In response to the put up, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s particular adviser on Information and Strategy, accused Mr Odinkalu of letting partisan politics affect his judgement.
“You’ve let partisanship cloud your vision and judgement. You are now a member of the internet mob, eager to disregard the truth and push false narratives online. You should be ashamed of this post,” Mr Onanuga wrote.
Also rejecting the claim, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, described it as an “outrageous claim.”
Mr Keyamo mentioned the allegation reminded him of a conspiracy concept throughout the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari that claimed Mr Buhari had died whereas receiving medical remedy in London and had been changed by a physique double often known as Jubril from Sudan.
“We thought we had seen and heard the worst nonsense from certain characters during the Buhari era when there was a conspiracy theory claiming that former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari died during medical treatment in London in 2017 and was replaced by a cloned body double or lookalike called Jubril from Sudan,” he mentioned.
“Now, some educated fellow (supposedly) comes up with an outrageous claim that the President’s look and speech yesterday on the launch of the APC Campaign Council had been pre-recorded.
“Meanwhile, each the native and worldwide Press bodily lined the occasion LIVE.
“I really don’t know whether to laugh or to cry.”
Mr Keyamo additional accused opposition figures of exhibiting indicators of “mental distress,” a remark more likely to intensify the political dispute over the claim.
Reactions from X
Several customers on X additionally criticised Mr Odinkalu, questioning why he would allege the President was absent regardless of media protection of the occasion.
One person, @gbengagiwa_tt, mentioned Mr Odinkalu ought to search assist, arguing that the activist may have confirmed the president’s presence via media organisations that lined the occasion.
“He has many avenues to confirm the authenticity of the physical appearance of President Tinubu at yesterday’s event, especially from his friend Rufai Oseni @ruffydfire, whose television station, @ARISEtv, covered the event live, yet he chose to take this embarrassing route, despite calling himself a Professor,” the person mentioned.
Another person, @cmpoba, urged Mr Odinkalu to delete the put up, asking how Mr Tinubu may have been absent when different attendees interacted with him.
“If President @officialABAT wasn’t there, who did Prof Soludo @CCSoludo, the Anambra State Governor, shake hands with? Everything is not propaganda,” the person mentioned.
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Similarly, @oluomokolade linked Mr Odinkalu’s claim to the sooner conspiracy theories surrounding Mr Buhari’s absence from public occasions throughout his administration.
“A group of people groomed with a culture of conspiracy-driven lies and hatred claimed it was Jibrin of Sudan that was in Aso Rock instead of PMB,” the person mentioned.
“That group has started with their mischief again. It’s very pathetic, the extent of hate in them.”
Mr Odinkalu’s claim and the next reactions have renewed debate on social media over the usage of unverified allegations in political discourse forward of the 2027 elections.
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