The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of being responsible for the internal disintegration of his party. The ruling party described Atiku’s recent comments as a desperate attempt to deflect blame.
Atiku, alongside Labour Party candidate Peter Obi and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, made various allegations at the recently concluded National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria, held in Abuja.
During the event, Atiku claimed that Nigeria’s democracy was being undermined by judicial interference and accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of bribing opposition leaders with N50 million to destabilize rival parties. The APC dismissed these claims as baseless.
APC’s Response: Atiku’s Record of Political Manipulation
In a statement on Tuesday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, criticized Atiku for repeatedly blaming the ruling party for PDP’s woes, likening his rhetoric to a “broken record.”
The party recalled that during Atiku’s tenure as Vice President, particularly in 2003 and 2007, the PDP conducted some of the most controversial elections in Nigeria’s history. It accused Atiku’s PDP of forcibly taking over South-West states and attempting to maintain power for 60 years.
“It was during this period that Atiku’s former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, infamously described elections as a ‘do or die’ affair in a desperate bid to capture Lagos,” the statement read.
Judiciary’s Role in Democracy
APC also defended the judiciary, stating that the courts are constitutionally empowered to adjudicate electoral disputes and that Atiku, who has a history of challenging elections in court, should not undermine the same system he has relied on.
“It is ironic that Atiku, Nigeria’s most prolific electoral litigator, now claims judicial involvement threatens democracy. His criticism of the courts is hypocritical given his long-standing reliance on them to push his political agenda,” Morka stated.
The APC urged Atiku to focus on rebuilding his party instead of making “alarmist statements” and emphasized that Nigeria’s democracy is stronger than any individual’s political ambitions.