The campaign of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has rejected a viral social media report claiming that he had been hospitalised after breaking his neck in a gym accident.

What the camp said

Obi's spokesman, Idris Zekeri, reportedly described the report and the photographs shared with it as completely false, in comments published on Monday, 2 November 2026. He said he was with the former Anambra governor on Sunday morning before Obi boarded a flight for an international engagement. Zekeri accused political opponents of making up the story to cause confusion among Obi's supporters ahead of the 2027 election.

Background

False health claims about political figures have become common in the run-up to the January 2027 elections. Last week, the Presidency rejected claims by activist Omoyele Sowore that President Bola Tinubu travelled to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, saying he went for Umrah. Fact-checkers have also debunked a clip that claimed Obi said he could not defeat Tinubu. Obi, who is running with Rabiu Kwankwaso, has been touring states including Nasarawa and Ebonyi in recent days.

Why it matters

Observers say fake stories and doctored images can mislead voters, and INEC's chairman warned on Monday that cheap AI tools are making such material easier to produce. Voters are being urged to check claims with official sources before sharing them.

What happens next

Obi is expected to resume campaigning when he returns from his trip.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the treatment of retired police officers and unveiled what he called a Police Dignity Guarantee Plan.

What he said

In comments reported on Monday, 2 November 2026, Atiku condemned what he described as the government's failure to protect retired officers who have been protesting at the National Pension Commission in Abuja over their pensions. He reportedly faulted the administration for not acting on a police exit bill which he said has been awaiting the President's signature since March 2026.

His promises

Atiku said that if elected, he would restore gratuity for retired officers and implement a Police Pension Board Bill within 30 days of taking office. He said police officers who served the country deserve to retire with dignity.

Background

Retired police officers have held repeated protests in Abuja over what they say are poor pensions under the contributory pension scheme, and have called for police to be removed from the scheme. The federal government has said it is working on reforms to improve welfare for serving and retired officers. Atiku has recently launched several attacks on the government's record, including accusing Tinubu of failing to keep his promises on electricity. The APC has dismissed such criticism, saying the government's reforms are beginning to show results.

What happens next

The Presidency had not responded to Atiku's latest comments at the time of reporting.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, says artificial intelligence (AI) is not an enemy of democracy, even though its misuse could create serious problems for elections.

What he said

Speaking at the Beyond the Ballot Summit in Abuja on Monday, 2 November 2026, Amupitan reportedly said election bodies around the world use machine-assisted processes to find duplicate records in large voter registers, plan logistics, analyse data and work more efficiently. However, he warned that generative AI has put powerful tools in the hands of people who want to disrupt elections or mislead voters, and that abilities which once needed a lot of money and technical skill can now be obtained very cheaply. He gave examples such as cloning the voices of public figures and creating realistic fake recordings of election officials making false announcements.

Background

His comments come days after INEC's ICT director admitted that some registration officers had entered AI-generated and poor-quality photos into the preliminary voter register, which was published online on 26 October. INEC says it detected the problem with its biometric identification system and is cleaning up the register before it is certified on 15 December. Opposition parties and civil society groups have called for a full audit, and ADC candidate Atiku Abubakar has demanded a forensic review. Amupitan had earlier announced that INEC would use AI in parts of the electoral system ahead of the 2027 elections.

Why it matters

Fake videos and audio have already been shared during the campaign, and several politicians have accused rivals of using deepfakes. Observers say voters will need to be careful about what they share as the January 2027 elections approach.

Nigerian politics has taken another interesting turn, and this time the attention is on the family of Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.

The video

A Facebook video reportedly showing Ozonna Soludo, the governor's son, dancing to and promoting a song associated with the NDC has sparked reactions online. In online discussions, the NDC has been linked to Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Father and son in different camps?

What makes the situation interesting is the apparent political contrast between father and son.

While Ozonna appears to be enjoying a song associated with a different political camp, his father, Governor Soludo, has reportedly been mobilising political stakeholders in Anambra State in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A dance is not a declaration

Dancing to a political song does not automatically mean someone has joined or endorsed a party. Ozonna has not made any confirmed political declaration through the video.

Even so, the moment has attracted attention because of his father's position. It is also a reminder that family ties do not necessarily decide political loyalty. A father may support one candidate while his son prefers another.

The big question

If Governor Soludo is backing Tinubu while his son appears to be promoting a song associated with Obi and Kwankwaso, what does that say about the changing political atmosphere ahead of 2027?

Politics in Nigeria never stops surprising us.