The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that prominent ADC members are planning to join the ruling party, insisting that no level of defections can prevent the APC’s defeat in the 2027 general elections.
This was stated in a press release signed by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who said the APC’s desperation to attract members from other political parties demonstrates its growing unpopularity among Nigerians.
“The attention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been drawn to the declaration by the National Chairman of the ruling APC, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Jos, that ‘key ADC figures’ will be received into the APC next week,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that the statement reflects the ruling party’s acknowledgement of its waning public approval.
“This declaration underscores a deep realisation by the ruling party that it cannot be saved even if all the governors in Nigeria defected to it. This is why, despite all the governors and senators they have been bragging about, the APC is still desperate for ADC members.”
The ADC blamed the ruling party for worsening the living conditions of Nigerians, saying its current efforts to recruit new members indicate a loss of credibility and public trust.
“The truth remains that the APC realises that it has become the most hated party in Nigeria. No amount of defections can save it from Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods the ruling party has destroyed since it came to power,” Abdullahi stated.
The party also said that the ongoing series of defections into the APC represents a betrayal of the Nigerian people by political elites who prioritise self-interest over public service.
“As we have noted earlier, the recent gale of high-profile defections to the ruling party is seen by ordinary Nigerians as a gang-up against the people by a ruling elite who have abandoned citizens in poverty while pursuing self-preservation,” the statement read.
The ADC called on the APC National Chairman to reveal the names of the alleged “key figures” expected to defect from the ADC, describing his remarks as yet another sign of the ruling party’s desperation.
“We wonder if the APC has run out of governors to seduce that it has now resorted to shadowy references to unnamed ADC members. If these individuals are so ‘key,’ let the chairman of the party mention their names,” Abdullahi said.
Drawing parallels between the APC and the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ADC stated that the APC is making the same mistakes that led to the PDP’s downfall.
“There is nothing new in the game the APC is playing. It is the same ruinous pattern the PDP followed at the height of its power. The APC will also learn the bitter lesson that real democratic power lies with the people, not a few power merchants,” the party concluded.
