Bolaji Abdullahi, a leader and spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has spoken out against the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, saying that it has a history of interfering with opposition parties and warning that this could have negative effects on Nigeria’s democracy.
Abdullahi said that the problems in the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) might have something to do with the recent visit by PRP leaders, including National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, to the ADC leadership.
He said that rumors that opposition leaders were thinking about running for office on different platforms may have caused problems within the PRP, and a faction is said to have formed soon after.
The ADC leader said that the development is part of a bigger trend that is affecting all opposition parties.
He said that even though the APC has denied being involved in fights between rival parties, recent events suggest otherwise.
He warned that any plan that seems to be aimed at weakening opposition parties could have effects on national stability that were not planned.
He says that hurting political alternatives could make it harder for people to make democratic choices.
“About three weeks ago, the head of the PRP, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, and other leaders paid a visit to the head of the ADC as a courtesy,” his statement said. A few days later, people started to talk about the coalition leadership possibly choosing the PRP. Even though this isn’t true, just one whiff of speculation was enough to start a faction in what had been a peaceful political party, challenging Baba-Ahmed’s leadership.
“This is the truth about Nigeria’s shrinking democratic space under the All Progressives Congress.” The government may keep saying that it has nothing to do with the problems in other parties and that these are just problems within those parties, but the pattern is clear. The world knows what’s going on. More importantly, they can see where this road goes.
“But here’s the thing: is there no one in the APC who can tell those in opposition parties who are causing problems that they are, in fact, planting the seeds of national instability?
“A political strategy based on sabotaging every opposition platform is ultimately self-destructive.” People really don’t have a choice when they have no other options.
