The African Democratic Congress has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress that key figures from its ranks are set to join the ruling party, saying no number of defections can rescue the APC from electoral defeat in 2027.
The ADC stated this in a statement on Sunday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in reaction to a comment by APC National Chairman, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, who reportedly said that “key ADC figures” would defect to the APC next week.
According to the ADC, the desperation of the ruling party to attract members from other political groups shows that it is aware of its growing unpopularity among Nigerians who, it said, have suffered untold hardship under its leadership.
The statement read in part, “This statement underscores a deep realisation by the ruling party that it cannot be saved even if all the governors in Nigeria defected to the ruling party. This is why even with all the governors and senators they have been bragging about, the APC is still desperate for ADC members.”
The ADC accused the APC of destroying the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians, insisting that the recent wave of defections into the party represents “a gang-up against the people by a ruling elite who have left the masses in abject poverty.”
“We wonder if the APC has run out of governors to seduce that it has now turned to shadowy references to unnamed ADC members? If these individuals are so ‘key’, let the chairman of the hated party mention their names,” the statement added.
The opposition party likened the APC’s current approach to that of the PDP during its dominant years, warning that the ruling party would eventually learn that “real democratic power lies with the people and not a few power merchants.”