Odinkalu makes inaccurate claim over Tinubu’s APC campaign council appearance; Presidency reacts

The Presidency has rejected a declare through human rights legal professional and activist Chidi Odinkalu that President Bola Tinubu was once now not bodily provide on the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Marketing campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Odinkalu alleged that Mr Tinubu’s look and speech on the match had been pre-recorded, although political leaders attended the programme and native and global media coated it.

The activist made the declare in an early Thursday put up on X, attaching a video of Mr Tinubu talking on the inauguration.

“It does now not require shut learn about of this clip to remember the fact that this was once a pre-recorded deal with. @officialABAT was once now not at this venue in individual,” he wrote.

He added that the transitions within the video had been “un-natural,” whilst describing the digicam paintings as “a manufacturing” and the development as “an orchestration.”

“The events to the crime are many. Allow them to produce the clip of his prom & a large attitude,” he stated.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the APC inaugurated its Presidential Marketing campaign Council on Wednesday on the Dinner party Corridor of the Presidential Villa in Abuja because the celebration commenced arrangements for the 2027 presidential election.

This newspaper can independently ascertain that Mr Tinubu was once bodily provide on the inauguration, opposite to Mr Odinkalu’s declare.

Presidency reacts

In line with the put up, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s particular adviser on Data and Technique, accused Mr Odinkalu of letting partisan politics affect his judgement.

“You’ve let partisanship cloud your imaginative and prescient and judgement. You are actually a member of the web mob, desperate to put out of your mind the reality and push false narratives on-line. You must feel embarrassment about this put up,” Mr Onanuga wrote.

Additionally rejecting the declare, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Building, Festus Keyamo, described it as an “outrageous declare.”

Mr Keyamo stated the allegation reminded him of a conspiracy idea throughout the management of former President Muhammadu Buhari that claimed Mr Buhari had died whilst receiving clinical remedy in London and have been changed through a frame double referred to as Jubril from Sudan.

“We idea we had observed and heard the worst nonsense from sure characters throughout the Buhari generation when there was once a conspiracy idea claiming that former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari died throughout clinical remedy in London in 2017 and was once changed through a cloned frame double or lookalike referred to as Jubril from Sudan,” he stated.

“Now, some trained fellow (supposedly) comes up with an outrageous declare that the President’s look and speech the day before today on the release of the APC Marketing campaign Council had been pre-recorded.

“In the meantime, each the native and global Press bodily coated the development LIVE.

“I in reality don’t know whether or not to chortle or to cry.”

Mr Keyamo additional accused opposition figures of displaying indicators of “psychological misery,” a remark prone to accentuate the political dispute over the declare.

Reactions from X

A number of customers on X additionally criticised Mr Odinkalu, wondering why he would allege the President was once absent in spite of media protection of the development.

One consumer, @gbengagiwa_tt, stated Mr Odinkalu must search lend a hand, arguing that the activist will have showed the president’s presence via media organisations that coated the development.

“He has many avenues to verify the authenticity of the bodily look of President Tinubu at the day before today’s match, particularly from his good friend Rufai Oseni @ruffydfire, whose tv station, @ARISEtv, coated the development are living, but he selected to take this embarrassing course, in spite of calling himself a Professor,” the consumer stated.

Any other consumer, @cmpoba, recommended Mr Odinkalu to delete the put up, asking how Mr Tinubu will 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 palms with? The entirety isn’t propaganda,” the consumer stated.

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In a similar fashion, @oluomokolade connected Mr Odinkalu’s declare to the sooner conspiracy theories surrounding Mr Buhari’s absence from public occasions throughout his management.

“A bunch of other people groomed with a tradition of conspiracy-driven lies and hatred claimed it was once Jibrin of Sudan that was once in Aso Rock as an alternative of PMB,” the consumer stated.

“That staff has began with their mischief once more. It’s very pathetic, the level of hate in them.”

Mr Odinkalu’s declare and the following reactions have renewed debate on social media over using unverified allegations in political discourse forward of the 2027 elections.