All Progressives Congress Rejects Allegations Of Sabotage And Attributes African Democratic Congress Crisis To Strategic Legal Failures

The APC denies weakening the ADC, blaming the opposition's crisis on legal blunders and a "hijacked" leadership structure rather than President Tinubu.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 3, 2026, 8:39 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Daily Post Nigeria

Deflecting Charges Of Political Interference

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a forceful rebuttal to allegations that it is actively undermining the opposition to pave the way for a single party system ahead of 2027. During a press conference in Abuja on Friday, April 3, 2026, the ruling party addressed recent claims made by the David Mark-led faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The APC leadership maintained that the ruling party is under no obligation to assist the growth of its rivals and characterized the ADC's public grievances as "deliberate mischief" and "open propaganda" designed to mask internal administrative incompetence.

The "Untidy" Leadership Transition

According to APC National Secretary Senator Dr. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, the predicament facing the ADC stems from a poorly executed attempt to take over the party's leadership without securing the consensus of all relevant stakeholders. This internal friction resulted in a "purely legal conundrum" that eventually moved from the Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal. The APC pointed out that neither President Bola Tinubu nor the ruling party initiated these litigations; rather, they were the result of the ADC's own fractional disputes and the subsequent decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold recognition until the legal matters are resolved.

Analysis Of Strategic Legal Errors

The APC leadership provided a detailed critique of the ADC's legal strategy, describing it as a series of fundamental mistakes. Specifically, the ruling party noted that the David Mark faction rushed to the Court of Appeal while the case was still ongoing at the trial court level, without first seeking the necessary leave to appeal. By contesting jurisdiction simultaneously at both the High Court and the appellate level, the ADC allegedly engaged in an "abuse of court process." The APC argued that these technical failures cannot be blamed on the Presidency, but rather reflect a lack of "mental articulation" and sound legal advice within the opposition's ranks.