2027: Kaduna cleric accuses APC of N500bn plot to rally northern leaders

A Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sunusi Khalil, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of planning to spend N500 billion to mobilise Islamic scholars and traditional rulers in the North to support the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Khalil levelled the allegation against the APC in a video circulated by Rigasa TV News.

The cleric claimed that he was personally approached to join the initiative but rejected the proposal.

He said those behind the alleged plan intended to use religious and traditional leaders to influence public opinion and rally support for the party in the build-up to the elections, which are scheduled for January 16, 2027.

“They have budgeted N500 billion to mobilise Mallams and traditional rulers so that they can campaign for them,” Khalil said.

The cleric added that he was invited to participate in the project but turned down the offer and warned those who approached him not to bring such proposals to him again.

“They invited me to join the project, but I rejected the offer with a warning that they should never bring something like that to me again,” he said.

The cleric also claimed that an individual within the government contacted him regarding the alleged arrangement, but he refused to cooperate.

As of the time of filing this report, the APC had not issued an official response to the allegation.

But there is no publicly available federal budget line indicating a N500 billion allocation for such a programme. The claim has nonetheless sparked debate online, particularly as many Nigerians continue to raise concerns over economic hardship and funding gaps in critical sectors such as healthcare.