A Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sunusi Khalil, has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) planned 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 made the claim in a video circulated by Rigasa TV News, where he stated he was personally approached to join the initiative but rejected the proposal.
According to the cleric, 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.
He also said 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.
However, 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.
