A Fact Check report by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has refuted the claim made by Dele Alake, Director of Strategic Communication for the All Progressives Congress (APC), that the viral “Balablu” video attributed to the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, was doctored. The CDD presented evidence that Tinubu indeed made the remark in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, while addressing a group of businessmen about his plans to boost the country’s economy and create a thriving business environment.
The CDD’s Election War Room was alerted to the issue after Alake posted a video on Twitter with the caption “Lies Alert,” stating that the phrase “Bala Blu Bulaba” had been manipulated. The post, which was viewed by over 70,000 people within 24 hours, prompted the CDD to investigate. Their inquiry included a review of Television Continental (TVC), a media outlet in which Tinubu is a promoter and financial investor. The live stream of the event, available on the TVC News YouTube channel, captured the gaffe in a 33‑minute‑44‑second clip of the APC Town Hall meeting with the private sector.
The CDD confirmed that the incident occurred in Imo State and that the remark appeared approximately three minutes and forty seconds into the video. Alake had previously appeared on Nigerian Info 99.3 FM in Abuja on Thursday, 9 February 2023, to deny the authenticity of the video. While responding to questions, he described Tinubu’s “famous gaffe” – the phrase “a town hall different from balablu blublu bulaba” – as manipulated, claiming the original clip had been broken into snippets and circulated on social media. The CDD’s findings demonstrate that Alake’s assertion was false; the video was not doctored.
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