Chidinma Iroegbu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s democratic system remains open, stating that 19 registered political parties are eligible to contest the 2027 general elections, while dismissing claims of interference by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said on Friday in Abuja that allegations linking the presidency to crises in opposition parties are “misleading and unfounded.”
He accused former Senate President David Mark and his associates of spreading false claims about the administration’s intentions toward opposition parties.
Basiru stressed that the President has no constitutional powers to deregister political parties or interfere in their internal affairs.
On the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he said its leadership crisis is purely internal and not influenced by the APC or the federal government.
He explained that the faction aligned with Mark mishandled its case by approaching the Court of Appeal while jurisdictional issues were still pending at the Federal High Court.
According to him, the appellate court dismissed the appeal on procedural grounds, citing failure to obtain leave for an interlocutory appeal and filing similar matters in different courts.
He added that the court declared the appeal incompetent, awarded ₦2 million costs against the faction, and ordered parties to maintain status quo pending the substantive case. “This reflects poor legal strategy, not interference,” Basiru said.
The APC scribe also warned against attempts to undermine the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “If you undermine INEC, you are undermining democracy itself,” he said, insisting opposition crises are self-inflicted.
Basiru further linked challenges in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to internal disputes, adding that APC remains focused on strengthening its structure. “Our duty is to our party,” he said.