POLITICAL PULSE: Prado SUV Gifts Ignite Backlash as APC Leads Visibility but Suffers Worst Sentiment
PRrev data shows APC commanding 41.8% of political-party coverage as controversy over seven Prado SUVs pushes its X negativity to 66%; NDC rises to 31.6% visibility and retains the positive-sentiment crown at 50%
ABUJA: Controversy over seven Prado SUVs reportedly gifted by APC youth leader Dayo Israel dominated Nigeria’s monitored political conversation on 26 October, pushing negative sentiment around the ruling party higher even as APC retained its position as the country’s most visible political party in the PRrev media intelligence data.
The Daily Political Pulse, based on PRrev, a PRNigeria media-monitoring and sentiment data tool that tracks political activities, coverage and sentiment across monitored media platforms, found that APC commanded 41.8% of pooled political-party coverage, but also recorded the highest overall negative sentiment at 58.2%. NDC strengthened its share of attention to 31.6% and retained the highest overall positive sentiment, at 50.0%.
PRrev monitored 3,756 in-scope items during the period, with political conversation also driven by APC’s allegation that ADC owed its staff 12 months’ salaries, NDC’s National Campaign Council and new Abuja secretariat, ADC’s campaign preparations, and PDP developments involving Nyesom Wike and a reported Kwara defection. 1
Seven Prado SUVs Put APC Under Scrutiny
The biggest reputational issue confronting APC was the controversy around seven Prado SUVs, valued in the report at about ₦1 billion, attributed to APC youth leader Dayo Israel. PRrev says Oluremi Tinubu confirmed the donation, while Atiku Abubakar, ADC and NDC demanded an explanation.
The issue replaced the Kaduna campaign aftermath as a major driver of negative conversation around the ruling party.
On X, 66% of APC’s 1,283 monitored items were negative, against only 11% positive and 23% fair. That represented a deterioration from 25 October, when APC’s X negativity stood at 63%.
Yet the picture differed substantially across platforms.
Of APC’s 263 monitored Facebook items, 47% were positive and 21% negative, while its 24 mainstream-media items recorded 59% positive against 33% negative.
The sharp platform contrast makes the central finding more nuanced: APC faced intense negative conversation on X while maintaining a much more favourable profile on Facebook and in mainstream media.
PRrev Political Party Rating | 26 October
1st in Visibility: APC
41.8% share of pooled coverage | 58.2% overall negative sentiment
APC generated 1,283 X items, 263 Facebook items and 24 mainstream-media items, giving it the highest share of the political-party conversation. But the party simultaneously retained the highest overall negative rating, with the Prado SUV controversy driving its X negativity to 66%.
1st in Positive Sentiment: NDC
31.6% share of pooled coverage | 50.0% overall positive sentiment
NDC remained the best overall positive-sentiment performer while narrowing APC’s visibility advantage. Its National Campaign Council and new Jabi, Abuja secretariat were among the major issues driving coverage.
ADC: 15.9% Share of Coverage
ADC generated 451 X, 132 Facebook and 14 mainstream items. Its X coverage was 18% positive, 43% negative and 39% fair, while Facebook sentiment was considerably stronger at 61% positive and 24% negative.
PDP: 10.7% Share of Coverage
PDP accounted for 10.7% of pooled coverage, with 272 X, 124 Facebook and six mainstream items. Its X conversation was overwhelmingly fair at 76%, compared with 9% positive and 15% negative.
NDC Gains Attention, But Positive Sentiment Retreats
NDC produced an interesting combination of rising visibility but declining positive sentiment.
Its pooled share increased from 28.0% on 25 October to 31.6% on 26 October, bringing it closer to APC’s 41.8%. But its highest overall positive share fell substantially, from 72.0% to 50.0%.
The movement was particularly pronounced on X, where NDC’s positive sentiment declined from 75% to 49% as the previous day’s DSS-arrest story faded. Negative X sentiment nevertheless remained comparatively low at 10%.
On Facebook, NDC performed better, recording 60% positive, 18% negative and 22% fair sentiment. Its 21 mainstream-media items, however, presented a contrasting picture: 19% positive, 38% negative and 43% fair.
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APC-ADC Salary Clash Turns Up Heat on ADC
Another significant political confrontation involved APC and ADC.
PRrev recorded APC’s allegation that ADC owed staff 12 months’ salaries as one of the day’s five major political drivers. The report states that ADC’s negative sentiment on X consequently rose from 22% on 25 October to 43% on 26 October.
ADC’s political conversation also included Atiku Abubakar’s plan to campaign across all 36 states, a Sokoto flag-off listed for 31 October, and two rival campaign councils.
PDP Loses Visibility as Neutral Conversation Dominates
PDP experienced a different challenge.
Its share of coverage dropped from 14.9% on 25 October to 10.7%, although conversation around the party included a reported defection of 6,000 members in Kwara, Nyesom Wike’s “rainbow coalition” and a Gombe disclaimer.
What stands out is the overwhelmingly neutral or fair character of PDP’s monitored conversation.
On X, 76% was classified as fair, while all six mainstream-media items were classified as fair. Facebook offered a more favourable balance, with 45% positive, 11% negative and 44% fair.
The day’s biggest-reach post was also connected to PDP: PRrev reports that a post by @OlayinkaLere concerning a PDP Bwari candidate who stepped down for APC attracted 334,793 views, but was classified as neutral.
Political Conversation Falls as Facebook and Mainstream Coverage Grow
Overall political-party conversation declined from 4,743 in-scope items on 25 October to 3,756 on 26 October.
The platforms did not move uniformly.
X volume fell sharply from 4,267 to 3,023 items, while Facebook increased from 428 to 668 and mainstream-media coverage rose from 48 to 65.
The parties also moved in different directions:
APC: 41.1% → 41.8%
NDC: 28.0% → 31.6%
ADC: 16.0% → 15.9%
PDP: 14.9% → 10.7%
The result was a tightening of the visibility contest between APC and NDC, even as APC remained the clear leader.
North-West Remains Political Hotspot
The North-West remained the busiest regional zone, driven by the Kaduna aftermath, Kano door-to-door activity and a Jigawa target, with PRrev assigning the region a medium-high risk classification.
The North-Central was associated with the NDC secretariat, Nyesom Wike, UBEC and the Kwara defection, while the South-West watch items included Dayo Israel’s SUVs, the Lagos manifesto and Ogun. Both regions were classified as medium risk.
PRrev Political Pulse
The defining story of 26 October is the widening gap between political visibility and favourable perception.
APC remained the most visible party and marginally increased its share of coverage from 41.1% to 41.8%. But the SUV controversy intensified an already negative X environment, pushing the party’s negative X sentiment from 63% to 66%. Its overall negative rating, however, eased slightly from 59.7% to 58.2%.
NDC was the principal challenger in the visibility contest, climbing from 28.0% to 31.6%, while retaining the highest overall positive sentiment at 50.0%. But that represented a significant decline from its 72.0% positive rating a day earlier.
ADC remained almost unchanged in visibility but suffered increased negative pressure on X, while PDP lost share of coverage and recorded predominantly fair or neutral conversation.
Political Pulse Verdict
APC retains the visibility crown but remains under the heaviest reputational pressure; NDC gains ground in the battle for attention and retains the positive-sentiment crown; ADC suffers a renewed negative swing on X, while PDP loses visibility amid predominantly neutral coverage.
The day’s numbers make one distinction especially important: APC’s 41.8% visibility lead does not represent a positive-sentiment rating. PRrev places APC’s overall negative sentiment at 58.2%, while NDC, with a smaller 31.6% share of attention, records the day’s highest overall positive sentiment at 50.0%.
Political Pulse is based on PRrev, a PRNigeria media-monitoring and sentiment data tool that tracks political activities, coverage and sentiment across monitored media platforms. Figures and narratives in this edition are drawn from PRrev Political Parties Report Summary (26 October, 2026).pdf. Political allegations and contested claims captured in the monitoring are attributed as such and are not presented as independently verified facts.
By PRNigeria
