A Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sunusi Khalil, has alleged that Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), plans to spend N500 billion to mobilise Islamic scholars and traditional rulers across Northern Nigeria in preparation for the 2027 Nigerian general elections.
Khalil made the claim in a video circulating online and published by Rigasa TV News, stating that he was personally approached to participate in the alleged initiative but declined the offer.
According to the cleric, the purported plan involves engaging Mallams and traditional leaders to influence public opinion and rally support for the ruling party ahead of the elections 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 in the video.
He further stated that he rejected the proposal and warned those who contacted him not to approach him with similar offers in the future.
“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.
Khalil also claimed that a government official had reached out to 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.
Meanwhile, there is currently no publicly available federal budget provision indicating a N500 billion allocation for such a programme. The claim has nevertheless sparked debate on social media, particularly amid ongoing concerns among Nigerians about economic hardship and funding challenges in critical sectors such as healthcare and education.
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