KADUNA — A video circulating widely on social media shows groups of people gathering on a road in Kaduna with lit torches and flames, waving flags and appearing to burn objects in a demonstration framed by posters as opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The footage, shared by the account @Uno_009 under the caption “KADUNA on Lockdown against APC,” shows crowds in traditional attire moving along a paved road under hazy conditions, with people holding up flaming items, some raising phones to record, and others carrying green-and-white flags.
On-screen text repeatedly reads “KADUNA TODAY.” Similar clips and posts described the action as residents using “burning brooms” — a direct reference to the APC’s broom symbol — as a “welcome message” for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the party’s 2027 presidential campaign flag-off.
The post and related shares gained significant traction, with thousands of likes, reposts, and views, and replies echoing anti-APC sentiment, including calls that “Tinubu Must Go.” Other users posted parallel videos claiming tension in parts of the state or residents confronting campaign activity.
In the lead-up, security agencies significantly increased their presence across the metropolis. Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Authority (KASTLEA) personnel were deployed to major roads, roundabouts, and the stadium area. Officers were specifically tasked with protecting campaign posters and billboards of Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani, which authorities noted were vulnerable to vandalism, particularly at night. The police also restricted heavy-duty vehicles such as trailers, tankers, and lorries in the metropolis from midnight Friday through 8 p.m. Saturday to ease traffic and facilitate the presidential visit.
At the same time, APC support groups organised visible solidarity activities. On Friday, thousands of pro-Tinubu marchers processed through parts of the city, including routes near the Savannah Bank area and Government House, where Governor Uba Sani received them. Streets were decorated with APC flags and campaign materials as participants drummed and danced in a show of support.
Mainstream reporting has focused primarily on the campaign preparations, security arrangements, and pro-APC mobilisation rather than confirming a city-wide “lockdown” or large-scale disruption from the torch-lit gatherings shown in the viral clips. The videos themselves do not include clear audio of specific chants or organisers identifying themselves, and no immediate official police statement specifically addressing the Thursday footage was prominent in major outlets at the time of the posts’ spread.
The contrasting images — burning symbolic brooms and torch processions on one side, and large organised solidarity marches plus heavy security on the other — highlight the polarised atmosphere in Kaduna as the ruling party launches its re-election effort in a key northern state. The APC has projected strong confidence in the region’s support for 2027, while opposition voices on social media have used the circulating videos to argue that discontent remains visible on the ground.
As of the campaign flag-off weekend, authorities continued to urge public cooperation to ensure order, warning against political violence, thuggery, or the possession of dangerous weapons.
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