ABUJA: The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday ridiculed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over its internal leadership tussle, declaring that the opposition party lacked the capacity to govern itself, let alone challenge the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The crisis deepened after a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, Nafiu Bala, declared himself the party’s new national chairman. Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Bala insisted he was the rightful successor to Ralph Nwosu, who resigned following the adoption of ADC by an opposition coalition earlier this year.
Citing the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, Bala argued that as deputy chairman, he automatically assumed office upon Nwosu’s exit.
He rejected the appointment of former Senate President, David Mark, as interim chairman, accusing coalition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, of hijacking the ADC.
The ADC constitution is clear. Once the chairman resigns, the deputy chairman takes over. I have therefore resumed as the authentic national chairman, Bala declared.
But the party’s National Spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed his claims, describing him as an “attention seeker” who had made similar pronouncements in the past.
“Anybody can call a press conference and claim to be chairman. Did he go to court? Did he report to the police? The ADC doesn’t even have a secretariat. This is nothing but noise,” Abdullahi fumed.
Weighing in on the controversy, APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, mocked the ADC’s wrangling as evidence of its weakness.
“The opposition is expected to manage its affairs responsibly. If the ADC doesn’t know how to unite its members, it can come and learn from us at the Progressive Institute.
The APC is focused on governance and delivering President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, not destabilising the opposition, Ibrahim said.
He noted that APC recently won 13 out of 16 contested by-election seats, while the ADC failed to secure any, stressing that the party was “not a force to reckon with.
