The African Democratic Congress (ADC)-affiliated group, ADC Vanguard, is under scrutiny for circulating an outdated photograph to claim that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged in vote buying during the November 8 Anambra governorship election.
On Thursday, the group posted an image on its social media page showing a “Ghana-Must-Go” bag stuffed with bundles of Nigerian naira notes. The caption read:
“Evidence of collusion everywhere. APC and APGA turned the process into a heist and pushed out the coalition. Unacceptable.”
Investigations reveal, however, that the photo is not related to the recent Anambra election. The image dates back to a 2019 cash seizure by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Makurdi, Benue State. The EFCC had recovered the money in connection with Emmanuel Jime, who was then the APC governorship candidate in the 2019 elections.
This reuse of an old photo has sparked widespread misinformation concerning the Anambra election, creating confusion among voters and observers.
ADC Vanguard has a history of circulating misleading information. In August, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai publicly urged the group to stop attributing false statements to him. El-Rufai said:
“Dear ADC Vanguard, please stop fabricating statements and attributing them to me. I have my own social media accounts where I can share my views and opinions. I am going to disown the statements you created and attributed, not because I necessarily disagree with the message, but because I never made them. That is not the honest way to represent our party or gain traction. Please stop it forthwith.”
This latest incident raises concerns about the role of political advocacy groups in spreading misinformation, especially during sensitive election periods.