APC Accuses Atiku of Political Desperation, Rejects Claims of Opposition Party Undermining
Abuja, FCT – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a strong rebuke of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of political desperation and dismissing his claims of government interference in opposition parties. In a press statement released on January 28th, 2025, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, Esq., responded to comments made by Atiku at a national conference on Monday.
Atiku, at the conference, warned about the perceived threat to Nigerian democracy posed by judicial involvement in electoral matters and alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was paying opposition leaders ₦50 million each to destabilize opposition parties.
Morka vehemently rejected these accusations. He countered that Atiku's criticisms are hypocritical, citing the PDP's actions during Atiku's tenure as Vice President, particularly during the 2003 and 2007 elections, which Morka described as "the worst in our political history." He highlighted the PDP's aggressive tactics in the Southwest and the then-President Obasanjo's infamous "do or die" election remark. Morka argued that if democracy survived those periods, it is not now under threat.
The APC spokesperson also defended the judiciary's role, stating that it's a constitutional body with the power to adjudicate electoral disputes. He pointed out Atiku's extensive history of using the courts for political gain, calling his criticism of judicial involvement hypocritical. Morka further dismissed Atiku's allegations of government payments to opposition figures as "bogus and laughable," directly blaming Atiku's political maneuvering for the PDP's internal strife.
Morka broadened his criticism to include other opposition figures like Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai, stating that their suggestions of APC involvement in weakening opposition parties were a weak excuse for their inability to manage their own political parties effectively.
The statement concludes by urging Nigerians to see through what it called the "false alarm and hollow allegations" of desperate politicians aiming to regain relevance ahead of the 2027 general elections. The APC maintains that Nigeria’s democracy is stronger than the ambitions of individual politicians.