Opposition crisis self-inflicted, APC chair tells ADC

The All Progressives Congress has defended the administration of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that democracy is thriving in Nigeria.

The party also rejected claims that the ruling APC is responsible for the internal crises rocking opposition parties.

During a live media chat in Abuja on Wednesday, APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary, Dr Ajibola Basiru, defended Tinubu, affirming that the ruling party remains resilient, open, and focused on providing effective governance nationwide.

The major opposition parties, the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, have been embroiled in internal crises that have split their national leadership into factions.

As a result, multiple legal battles have emerged, creating significant uncertainty for both parties as the 2027 elections approach.

Most recently, following the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to derecognise ADC National Chairman, David Mark and National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, on April 1, Mark, in his response on April 2, called for the resignation of INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, alleging that the Tinubu administration and the APC-led Federal Government were responsible for the opposition’s challenges.

Similarly, at the ADC national convention held in Abuja on Tuesday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside former governors, including Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as several other speakers, alleged that the Tinubu-led Federal Government was making moves to weaken opposition parties and, by extension, undermine democracy in Nigeria, with the aim of paving the way for a sole presidential candidacy in 2027.

They also described Tinubu’s administration as a scam and a failure, alleging that the economy is in disarray and that insecurity has reached its peak.

In response, Basiru stated that a key feature of democratic governance is the diversity of ideas and the freedom for individuals to express themselves without fear of damaging their reputation or restricting their liberty.

He stated, “So democracy is not just about the unbridled ambition of a few individuals to continue to be in the corridors of power perpetually.

“The second hallmark of democracy is heterogeneity of ideas, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and of course, freedom to organise. And these are clearly evident in our country.

“Now, talking about frustrating opposition. As of the last count, we have no less than 19 registered political parties in Nigeria.

“The political parties that were claiming that they have problems are not more than four or five. So the majority of Nigerian political parties do not have any problems.

“Speaking of facts, if out of 19 or so political parties, four have issues, the question you ask of them is: are they conducting affairs within the framework of the law in order to continue to act amid such a problem?

“Then, if you say APC is the source of the problem, have you seen any APC member challenging the internal processes of other political parties?

“And I will give today, the Supreme Court of Nigeria sat today to say that they rejected an application yesterday for a stay of execution, and the Court of Appeal would say that status quo ante bellum should be maintained in the case of the two ADC factions.

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria, in two established cases, one in 1982 and one in 1993, has stated what status quo ante bellum is, that is, the situation of things before hostility.

“Yet, some people still gather themselves in a bizarre manner and say that they are organising a convention, which is clearly in violation of the law.”

The APC National Secretary questioned whether Tinubu is the one instructing them to violate the Court of Appeal’s clear directive not to create a fait accompli that could affect pending court proceedings.

He continued, “And at that purported convention, people who are in litigation with you, contesting leadership, you say you have expelled them from the process. The question is, where is the hand of the APC in that regard?

“And some other political party, like even the Peoples Democratic Party. The faction of the PDP appeared at the Supreme Court too, and the Supreme Court refused to grant them a stay of execution, and said we have granted accelerated hearing of their proceedings, and put a date for them to be able to abridge themselves and come within that regard.”

Basiru cautioned opposition leaders against discrediting the judiciary and democratic institutions merely to advance the interests of a few individuals.

He added, “Before the PDP Ibadan Amala convention in Ibadan, there was a subsisting judgment of the Federal Court that said do not go ahead with the convention.

“Some eminent voices within the Peoples Democratic Party, like former Senate President Bukola Saraki, said let us listen to what the courts are saying, let us reconcile. But, they refused to listen.

“So as far as we are concerned, the job of the APC is clear. We intend to create a pan-Nigerian political party that resonates with the grassroots, that is able to articulate policies and programmes that are in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“We will not be distracted by the people whose objective is just to continue to appeal to sentiments that are not rooted in fact.”

Basiru said the APC learned a lesson and paid dearly for not following due process in Zamfara, as all elected officials of the party were sacked by the court.

He said, “We did not cry wolf. In 2019, we did not have candidates in the election in Rivers State. And then the question you ask yourself is that those elements that precipitated those crises, which our party paid dearly for, are they not the ones in the ADC?”

On the issue of insecurity, Basiru highlighted Tinubu’s achievements and called for cooperation among Nigerians and other stakeholders.

Basiru stated, “Let us separate facts from fiction. On security, progress has been made, even though challenges remain. In the last few weeks, about 350 suspects linked to insecurity have been prosecuted. The United States has also commended these efforts.

“The nature of insecurity, especially in the North-East and parts of the North-West, is complex, involving insurgents who blend into civilian populations, making identification difficult. But under President Tinubu, all these are being addressed.”

Basiru cautioned that Nigerians should not politicise insecurity, stressing that communities must also cooperate, as insecurity affects everyone.

He stated, “Non-kinetic approaches, including community engagement and development, are helping address the problem. There is also a need for stronger coordination with state governments on security reforms, including discussions around state policing.

“The current structure of the Nigeria Police Force is insufficient for the size of the country, with only about 6,550 police formations nationwide. This makes effective coverage difficult.

“There is therefore a strong case for decentralisation and reforms that include zonal autonomy and improved operational capacity.

“We must also avoid politicising insecurity. Instead, we should focus on practical solutions, including cutting off funding sources for criminal groups. Security must be treated as a collective national responsibility, not a political tool.

“The Federal Government under President Tinubu has done a lot and is still taking steps to tackle the insecurity challenge. But there is improvement from what it used to be in the past.”

Prof Yilwatda stated that if the ADC and other opposition parties lack internal democracy, the APC should not be blamed.

He stated, “So, if they don’t have internal democracy, we have one. If they can’t manage internal democracy, we have a process, and we do it.

“The ADC and other opposition political parties should stop blaming the APC for their failure. Why can’t the ADC have a convention to elect David Mark and his caucus? Now that ADC members are aggrieved because of the way they came in, they want to blame us.”

On the economy, Yilwatda stated that the painful, bold, and necessary economic reforms introduced by Tinubu were beginning to produce positive outcomes.

He stated, “Mr President took that bold step to make that change that was needed for us to have development in the country, and he did it.

“Today, we are seeing the benefits. There are macroeconomic improvements; there is more revenue to the states, to the local government, and to the federal government.

“If you see the infrastructure being built at the state level, you know it is massive. Most of the cities are built up, and they are not borrowing again; they are not breaking bonds to borrow to implement those infrastructures.

“It is because the increase in revenue through that change in policy has led to all those changes that we are seeing.

“And we have economic growth also, from tax surplus for the first time. Last year, we had a tax surplus of over N6tn. These are tax surpluses that we have never seen in many years.

“We also saw that GDP is growing. Last year, we crossed about 4% GDP growth over the year. Our foreign reserves have seen almost N50tn. So we are seeing a lot of improvement in the macroeconomy of the country.”

The APC national chairman said the next step is to work on the microeconomic aspect, so that the impact could be felt by Nigerians.

“But you cannot improve the micro without working on the macro. The numbers, the figures, and the macro are good. They are green. Nigeria is cruising well in terms of macro; the numbers are good,” he said.

Yilwatda said that efforts were also underway to strengthen the microeconomy through investments in human capital development, including student loans, support for vulnerable households, and other intervention programmes.

He stated, “These are things the Federal Government is doing to ease the pains that come with these reforms. We acknowledge the pains; it is real, it is factual, and it is a part we must go through as a country.

“We are doing our best, but we have not covered everybody yet. However, we are working to reach as many Nigerians as possible.

“We are also encouraging corporate organisations to come in and support, because they are also beneficiaries of a growing economy. We expect the private sector to reinvest and support vulnerable people as well.”