The All Progressives Congress, APC, has berated former presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai of incompetence.
According to the ruling party, Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai have shown gross incompetence and failure to manage their own affairs.
A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, maintained that Nigerians cannot be distracted by desperate politicians looking for relevance ahead of 2027.
Morka faulted Atiku’s remark of judicial involvement in Nigeria’s electoral matters, emphasizing that he is the country’s most prolific electoral litigator.
Morka explained further; “It is a thing of irony that Atiku, who is Nigeria’s most prolific electoral litigator, would make such a ludicrous claim that judicial involvement in electoral matters is a threat to democracy.
“His criticism of the courts and the electoral process rings hollow given his long history of using the courts to further his political agenda. It’s time for him to take a step back and let the democratic process unfold without his interference.
“Nigeria’s democracy is far stronger than Atiku’s political ambitions. We deserve better than petty politicking and alarmist rhetoric from an elder statesman.
“As a veteran politician, one would expect Atiku to understand that while democracy may be about winning election, it is, more importantly, about respecting the will of the electorate and working towards the greater good of all.
“Atiku should focus on rebuilding his party and offering constructive solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
“The bizarre suggestion by opposition figures like Atiku, Peter Obi, and recently, aggrieved leaders like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that our great Party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties is pitiful, and only an incompetent alibi for their crass failure to manage their own affairs. They cannot govern their parties but tout their ability to govern Africa’s most populous country.
“As discerning citizens, Nigerians know better than to be distracted by the false alarm and hollow allegations of desperate politicians whose only goal is shore up their political relevance in the build up to 2027 general elections.”
Recall that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC), lacks active party structures and internal democracy.
Speaking during a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, El-Rufai, who posted the report on his X handle on Tuesday, described the state of governance and opposition in the country as a “national emergency,” accusing APC of abandoning its founding principles and fostering poor leadership.
“I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show. You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today,” He added.
El-Rufai urged political parties to set higher standards for candidates and delegates, noting that the constitution’s minimum requirement of a secondary school certificate should not suffice for party nominations.
Reflecting on the party’s foundation, El-Rufai said the APC was originally established to combat corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance security. He, however, said the goals have been abandoned.
“The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them. The distance between me and the party is widening,” he revealed.
El-Rufai also charged opposition parties to unite and form a broad coalition to challenge the ruling party and protect democracy.
“There are internal mercenaries in the PDP, hired and motivated to destroy the party. The Labour Party is also facing similar issues. Peter Obi himself told me, ‘I don’t know what’s happening in the party I contested with.’
“There seems to be a deliberate project to destroy opposition parties,” he said.