The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have clashed over alleged plot to destabilise the opposition and make President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the sole presidential candidate for the 2027 poll.
The ADC in a statement on Monday by Bolaji Abdullahi, its national publicity secretary, alleged that some powerful figures within the APC were pressuring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise an expelled member of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, as the national chairman of the ADC.
The opposition party described the alleged move as part of a broader attempt by the APC to destabilise the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections and pave the way for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emerge as the only serious contender on the ballot.
According to the statement, the plan is aimed at ensuring internal confusion within the ADC in order to weaken what it described as a growing and credible opposition platform.
The ADC alleged that the scheme is being driven by influential actors within the ruling establishment, including an APC governor working in collaboration with a senior security official based in Abuja.
“At the centre of this scheme is Mr. Nafiu Bala Gombe, an expelled member of the ADC who has recently been parading himself as a leader of the party while collaborating with external political interests,” the statement said.
The ADC noted that Gombe, who once claimed to be Deputy National Chairman under former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, was expelled for actions considered inconsistent with the party’s constitution and decisions of its leadership.
But reacting to the allegations, the APC National Director of Publicity, Alhaji Bala Ibrahim, dismissed the claims, saying the ADC was “confused and jittery” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a telephone interview with BusinessDay, Ibrahim maintained that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no control over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and therefore cannot influence its constitutional responsibilities.
“The APC has no control over INEC; we do not dictate what INEC does. So how can the APC influence or pressure INEC in carrying out its constitutional duties?” he asked.
He added that the accusations by the ADC were baseless and stemmed from anxiety within the opposition party. “The ADC is simply confused. They are jittery because they can already see failure staring them in the face,” Ibrahim said.
He further noted that similar allegations had previously been made by opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing the APC of interfering in their internal affairs.
“But there is just no way the APC will interfere. These are the same kinds of accusations the opposition has been making, including claims that the APC is interfering in the affairs of the PDP,” he added.