The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected allegations made by a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) linking President Bola Tinubu to the party’s internal leadership crisis.

 

 

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru described the claims as baseless and an attempt to divert attention from internal disputes within the ADC.

 

 

The Mark-led faction of the ADC had accused Tinubu of interfering in opposition politics and attempting to weaken parties ahead of the 2027 general election, but the APC dismissed this as lacking any constitutional foundation.

 

 

Basiru stated that the president has no legal authority to interfere in the affairs of political parties or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stressing that such claims were “misleading” and amounted to propaganda. He added that the ongoing crisis within the ADC is a result of internal disagreements and legal issues rather than any external involvement.

 

 

The APC also defended INEC’s actions, saying the electoral body acted in line with a Court of Appeal ruling which dismissed an appeal filed by the Mark-led faction and directed parties to maintain the status quo pending further proceedings.

 

 

“The decision being implemented by INEC was as a consequence of the dismissal of an appeal… Where does President Bola Tinubu feature in their claims, if not in fallacious and malicious propaganda?” Basiru said. The ruling party further criticised the ADC faction for allegedly ignoring court processes by continuing with party activities such as congresses despite ongoing litigation.

 

 

Basiru also dismissed calls for the removal of INEC officials, describing them as reckless and indicative of a misunderstanding of democratic institutions. He questioned the ADC faction’s claim to be a strong opposition force, pointing to what he described as poor electoral performance and a lack of public trust.

 

 

Reaffirming its position, the APC urged the opposition group to focus on resolving its internal issues rather than making public accusations. “Blaming other parties will not fix their internal crisis… No amount of external finger-pointing can resolve their lingering leadership issues,” he said.