Ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ought to have gone beyond merely de-recognizing the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and proceeded to deregister the party entirely.
Addressing journalists at the APC National Secretariat today, National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru and the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described the opposition party as a waste of the time and resources of Nigerians.
Senator Basiru argued that the ADC’s lack of electoral impact and persistent internal legal battles justify its removal from the list of registered parties.
The APC dismissed allegations from the David Mark faction that President Bola Tinubu is attempting to weaken the opposition to create a one-party state.
It noted that the ADC’s current crisis is self-inflicted, stemming from a rickety leadership transition that resulted in a dismissal at the Court of Appeal.
The APC explained that the Court of Appeal ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum after dismissing David Mark’s appeal for being procedurally flawed and premature.
It maintained that INEC is simply implementing this judicial order and that neither the president nor the commission is complicit in ADC’s legal failures.
The APC also questioned the logic behind ADC’s call for the removal of the INEC Chairman and commissioners.
The ruling party urged the ADC to look inward and resolve its internal crises instead of blaming external actors.
Referring to its own previous loss of seats in Zamfara due to internal issues, the ruling party noted that no outrage, no conspiracy theories followed, as it was simply the consequence of failing to put one’s house in order.
The APC warned that the ADC’s plan to proceed with congresses despite the court’s order to maintain the status quo is an act of illegality for which they alone will bear the consequences.
