The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ought to have gone beyond merely de-recognising 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 on Friday, 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.”
Basiru argued that the ADC’s lack of electoral impact and persistent internal legal battles justify its removal from the list of registered parties.
“You look at the bye election in 17 constituencies, they won no seat. FCT Area Council elections, they won no chairmanship or councillorship seat. Same day, state constituency by-elections were conducted in Rivers and Kano states and they won no seats too.
Even the quantum of votes they had in all the elections was nothing to write home about. Ordinarily, INEC should deregister them because they are just wasting the time and resources of Nigerians,” he stated.
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.
“Anytime they lose a case, democracy is in danger but any time our party loses in court, they will say democracy is alive. It is very laughable,” Basiru said.
Speaking on ADC’s internal disputes, he added: “You went and stole a rickety vehicle and if the vehicle has a brain box problem, you cannot blame us.”
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.
“If Senator Mark and his factional ADC leadership believe INEC’s interpretation is flawed, they ought to know the proper channel to seek redress – the courts.
“The public defiant posture of Senator Mark and his factional ADC leadership against orders of the Court of Appeal and its implementation by INEC not only amounts to self-help but recklessness”, said Basiru.
The APC also questioned the logic behind ADC’s call for the removal of the INEC Chairman and commissioners.
“I think they are not ready for the elections because even if you sack the entire management of INEC as they are demanding, who will appoint another management? So, if the president appoints another management team in line with the Constitution, will they ask that those ones be sacked again?” he queried.
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.
