The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has rebuffed claims made by former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbeshola, stating that his remark to play down President Bola Tinubu’s win at the 2023 Presidential election as baseless.
The chapter denounced Aregbeshola’s claim stating that Tinubu emerged victorious in the election not by accident but by securing the mandate of the Nigerian populace across diverse regions.
The party cited APC’s loss during the election in the state, which the party governs, claiming that the end result ,not being doctored, is a testament on Tinubu’s integrity and ethos of democracy.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, on Wednesday, the Chapter hammered on the necessity facts on record and correct the sweeping conclusions and convenient opinions in the claims to curb misleading the society and likely occurrences of election irregularities in the coming 2027 general elections.
The party also reminisced that despite the Presidential election result in Lagos, the residents still voted in confidence for the APC as the party subsequently won the Gubernatorial and bye-elections by landslide, adding that it emerged as an unmistakable reflection of the party’s enduring control, structure and grassroot acceptance in Lagos.
The statement also rules out Aregbeshola’s assertion of defections helping the APC win in elections. It states, ”On the issue of defections, the APC has never claimed that defections alone win elections. What wins elections are performance, credibility, leadership and a compelling vision.
”Where defections occur in favour of the APC, they are often a response to the glaring failure, incoherence and lack of ideological direction within opposition ranks. They are a consequence, not a cause, of the ruling party’s political strengths,” the circular added.
The body added that it is aware of the nightmare the current wave of disruption is having on opposition parties, adding that their recent outburst are symptoms of parties struggling on impending irrelevance due to a bereft of ideas, unity and credibility.
It also opined that the political trajectory of modern Nigeria cannot be told without acknowledging the foundational role played by Tinubu in building coalitions, nurturing leaders and institutionalizing progressive governance.
The party reassures of its focus on positive governance, economic reforms, national stability and improvement of the standard of living of the populace to ensure a better society for all and sundry.
