…Says ADC ‘drowning in confusion’
…Insists Tinubu’s reforms cannot be derailed
Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed accusations from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of a covert plot to destabilise the opposition coalition, describing the claims as “phantom lies” and accusing ADC leaders of exploiting their internal disarray for political sympathy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, refuted the ADC’s assertion that its state chairmen in the North-East and North-West were summoned to secret meetings with federal officials in an attempt to intimidate them.
“The ADC is drowning in its own confusion and needs no help from our great party to unravel,” Morka stated. “Clearly, there was no such meeting, and certainly, no one could have been coerced or intimidated at a meeting that never took place. This is a party mortally wounded by internal strife, reaping the fallout of a Gestapo-style takeover by self-interested politicians.”
The APC accused the ADC of manufacturing the allegations to divert attention from its leadership crisis, calling its claims a “desperate attempt” to attract public sympathy and discredit President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“What good can possibly come out of a coalition of the country’s most inept politicians and architects of misrule, corruption, poverty and underdevelopment?” Morka asked.
The Presidency also responded to the ADC’s claims, urging opposition parties to refrain from distractions that could derail national reforms.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, acknowledged the recent wave of support for the opposition coalition but said the government remained focused on delivering its mandate under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Even as we uphold the right of all Nigerians to associate freely and express themselves, President Tinubu’s administration will not be diverted by political theatrics,” Idris said.
He listed recent government achievements, including the stabilisation of the naira, reduction in crude oil theft, expansion of student loan schemes, and increased mechanisation in agriculture.
“Emerging coalitions are not interested in sustaining national progress. Their goal is to derail reform. But this administration will stay the course,” he added.
Despite the rebuttals, the ADC maintained its stance, reiterating that federal actors were attempting to undermine the coalition by targeting its internal structures.
A senior ADC official, speaking anonymously, said: “There is a systematic effort to intimidate our state chapters and disrupt our momentum. Nigerians must not be complacent.”
The new coalition, launched last week with the ADC as its political vehicle for the 2027 elections, has drawn in high-profile figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Former Senate President David Mark was named as National Chairman of the ADC, with former Minister Rauf Aregbesola and Bolaji Abdullahi appointed as National Secretary and Publicity Secretary respectively.
The party leadership insists it remains cohesive and determined to challenge the APC in 2027, despite what it described as “external sabotage” designed to fracture the alliance.
