Following claims by the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was bribing politicians to weaken opposition parties, the party has denied the allegations, describing the claim as a false and an indication of failed leadership.
The APC said that Atiku, who has continued to point fingers at the party to distract from the fact that his own party is destabilized, accused the President Bola Tinubu-led administration without any evidence to back up his assertion.
The ruling party also criticized other opposition leaders, including former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and its statesman Nasir El-Rufai, saying that suggestions that the party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties are pitiful and only an incompetent failure to manage their own affairs.
Days ago, El-Rufai and Obi were seen at a separate event faulting the government for its inability to take charge of the country and meet the demands of citizens, while calling out some officials as illiterates and extorters who are worse than Yahoo boys.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary to the APC, Felix Morka, on Tuesday, the APC described these opposition leaders as citizens whose only goal is to shore up their political relevance in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
According to the statement, “We deserve better than petty politicking and alarmist rhetoric from an elder statesman. As a veteran politician, one would expect Atiku to understand that while democracy may be about winning elections, it is more importantly about respecting the will of the electorate and work towards the greater good of all ”
“Atiku should focus on rebuilding his party and offering constructive solutions to Nigeria’s challenges. Atiku’s allegation that the APC-led administration was paying out 50 million naira to some opposition figures is simply bogus and laughable. Atiku knows that his political desperation is responsible for the PDP’s catastrophic disintegration. ”
“Peddling rumours and unsubstantiated allegations should be beneath anyone in the standing of an elder statesman, a former vice president, and a serial contestant for the exalted office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ”
“The bizarre suggestion by opposition figures like Atiku, Peter Obi, and recently, aggrieved leaders like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that our great party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties is pitiful and only an incompetent alibi for their crass failure to manage their own affairs. They can not govern their parties but tout their ability to govern Africa’s most populous country.”