The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that Nigeria’s democracy is facing an existential threat.
The Lagos APC said democratic institutions in the country remain resilient under President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku, through a statement issued by his media office and signed by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, had earlier warned that Nigeria was drifting towards authoritarianism, alleging that the Tinubu administration was shrinking democratic space and deliberately weakening opposition parties.
In the statement dated January 6, Atiku’s camp claimed that Nigerians had endured nearly three years of severe economic hardship and political repression, which it said was designed to eliminate political alternatives and entrench a de facto one-party state.
According to the statement, patriotic political leaders rallied around the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a credible national platform to resist what it described as authoritarian tendencies and rescue Nigeria’s democracy. It added that Atiku Abubakar and other opposition figures were central to this mission.
The statement further accused individuals aligned with the Presidency of attempting to destabilize the ADC by interfering in its internal affairs, particularly the selection of its presidential candidate. It warned that any calls for Atiku to step aside would amount to aiding authoritarian ambition and betraying the Nigerian people.
“Perhaps the Tinubu administration’s most disturbing “achievement” has been the systematic weakening of opposition parties, leaving the All Progressives Congress—despite its manifest failures—standing alone by default, not by merit,” the statement read.
“Let it be stated plainly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside other committed patriots, is central to this effort. Any call—overt or covert—for Atiku to “step aside” is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
However, responding in a statement issued on Thursday, the Lagos APC rejected Atiku’s claims, describing them as alarmist, ironic, and politically convenient.
Signed by its spokesman, Seye Oladejo, the ruling party said Nigeria’s democracy was not under threat, arguing that elections have been conducted, courts have adjudicated disputes, the legislature has exercised oversight, and citizens continue to enjoy constitutionally guaranteed freedoms since the inauguration of Tinubu on May 29, 2023.
The APC accused the opposition, particularly the ADC, of lacking ideological clarity and struggling with internal contradictions, insisting that what is truly under threat is the opposition’s fading relevance.
“Democracy does not collapse because personal ambitions are frustrated, nor is it imperiled when Nigerians refuse to mortgage their future to political expediency.
“This coalition, as presently constituted, appears to have its expiry date engraved upon it. Longevity, sadly, does not appear to be its portion. What we are witnessing is not the defence of democracy, but the last convulsion of a political arrangement held together by fear, impatience, and the fading relevance of its leading lights,” the APC stated.
The party reaffirmed that ongoing reforms under the Tinubu administration, though demanding, are anchored on constitutional order, the rule of law, and democratic accountability, and cannot be undermined by what it described as manufactured alarmism.
“We therefore advise Atiku Abubakar and his new political companions to confront reality honestly. Nigeria is not afraid. Democracy is not collapsing. It is only the opposition that is frightened by its own shadow-and by the unmistakable reality that Nigerians have moved on,” it added.
Leave a Comment