​Protesters staged a counter-demonstration in Kaduna to voice opposition to economic hardship and fuel subsidy removals as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani officially flagged off the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign.
​On Saturday, October 24, 2026, starting at 9:30 AM, thousands of APC loyalists gathered at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Constitution Road in Kaduna for the official kick-off of the APC 2027 presidential and state campaign rally.
However, just outside the perimeter along the busy Ahmadu Bello Way junction, a counter-campaign organised by civil society coalitions and aggrieved citizens mounted a demonstration expressing displeasure over the administration’s economic policies and local governance.
​Holding banners reading “End Economic Hardship” and “Fix Northern Insecurity First,” the counter-protesters chanted anti-policy slogans to challenge the administration’s reelection pitch.
​Speaking on behalf of the counter-demonstrators, Comrade Shehu Abdulrahaman, spokesperson for the Coalition of Concerned Kaduna Citizens, criticized the timing of the campaign flag-off amid rising living costs.
​”We cannot sit idly by while political rallies are celebrated in the middle of severe economic pressure. The removal of petrol subsidies and local governance issues have pushed basic food items out of reach for average families in Kaduna and across the North. We are here to send a clear, peaceful message to President Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani that citizens want accountability and immediate economic relief, not early campaign rhetoric,” said Abdulrahaman.
​Inside the stadium, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu defended his administration’s major policy shifts, addressing the widespread economic concerns and placing blame on previous administrations.
​”Fuel subsidy is in our past: no more corruption, no more falsification of invoices, no more lies, no more smuggling of fuel. I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did! We are working every day to eradicate it and guarantee a prosperous future,” President Tinubu told the crowd.
​Addressing the counter-protests and surrounding tension during his opening remarks at 11:15 AM, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State urged citizens to remain calm and cautioned against political division.
​”Kaduna is a peaceful state built on democratic principles where everyone has a right to express their views. However, our administration remains steadfast in delivering real infrastructure, security, and agricultural welfare. We appeal to all citizens to look at the long-term progress being made and guard against misleading narratives during this campaign season,” Governor Sani stated.
​Security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) set up buffer zones between the stadium gates and the counter-protesters to prevent clashes.
​Despite heated verbal exchanges between arriving APC supporters and counter-demonstrators, no violence was reported, and the protest concluded peacefully around 2:00 PM as campaign delegates dispersed.
