Great Imo Jonathan has questioned the level of grassroots support enjoyed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that supporters were transported from other states, including Abia, to attend the party’s presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna.
In a critical commentary titled *“Rented Abia Crowd for Kaduna Rally and the Diminished Value of Tinubu and the APC: A Stadium That Exposed a Presidency,”* Jonathan argued that the turnout at the rally raised questions about the APC’s popularity in Kaduna State, which has historically been an important political centre in northern Nigeria.
According to Jonathan, the party’s inability to fill the stadium predominantly with local supporters, as he alleged, contradicted its claims of strong grassroots backing in the state.
He further alleged that APC members and supporters were mobilised from across the country to boost attendance at the event, specifically mentioning Eric Opah and others whom he claimed travelled from Abia State to Kaduna.
Jonathan challenged APC members in Abia State to dispute his allegation, promising to provide further details. However, the claims of organised transportation, payments to attendees and the scale of participation from other states were not independently verified at the time of this report.
Questions over rally expenditure
Jonathan also questioned the resources allegedly committed to organising the rally, claiming that substantial funds were spent on transportation, accommodation, publicity and the mobilisation of attendees.
He argued that such expenditure was difficult to justify amid Nigerians’ concerns about rising living costs, food insecurity and persistent security challenges.
“If a party has to bring supporters from other states to fill a stadium in Kaduna, it raises questions about the strength of its local political structures,” Jonathan’s commentary suggested.
He also alleged that artificial-intelligence-generated images were used to enhance the appearance of the crowd. No independent technical assessment was provided to establish whether images associated with the rally had been digitally manipulated.
Security arrangements and public reaction
Jonathan criticised the reported security arrangements surrounding the President’s movement to the venue, alleging that an armoured military vehicle was used to convey Tinubu to the stadium.
He also claimed that security agencies had been deployed for several days to protect campaign billboards and accused the authorities of creating an atmosphere of intimidation.
These allegations could not be independently established from the information available for this report. The circumstances surrounding the President’s transportation and the purpose of the security deployment would require further verification.
Political implications
The commentary comes amid broader debates about political mobilisation, public confidence and the ability of parties to demonstrate support at major campaign events.
Jonathan maintained that the rally’s attendance should be assessed against the APC’s political standing in Kaduna and the concerns of residents over insecurity and economic hardship.
He contrasted what he described as organic political support with attendance allegedly secured through financial incentives and interstate mobilisation, arguing that crowd size alone does not necessarily demonstrate public approval.
He also referenced the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), suggesting that the rally had highlighted a distinction between grassroots mobilisation and what he characterised as politically packaged attendance. However, no comparative attendance figures or independent survey data were presented to substantiate that comparison.
APC response awaited
The allegations concerning interstate mobilisation, payments to attendees, the use of artificial intelligence in campaign imagery and the President’s security arrangements remain claims attributed to Jonathan.
An official response from the APC or its Kaduna State leadership was not included in the material available for this report.
