The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that key ADC members are set to defect to the ruling party, declaring that no amount of defections can save the APC from defeat in the 2027 general elections.
The party’s position was contained in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who said the APC’s desperation to woo members from other political parties shows that it has become deeply unpopular among Nigerians.
“The attention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been drawn to the declaration by the National Chairman of the ruling APC, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Jos, that ‘key ADC figures’ will be received into the APC next week,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the statement reflects the ruling party’s recognition of its declining public support.
“This declaration underscores a deep realisation by the ruling party that it cannot be saved even if all the governors in Nigeria defected to it.
This is why, despite all the governors and senators they have been bragging about, the APC is still desperate for ADC members.”
The ADC accused the ruling party of inflicting hardship on Nigerians, describing its current recruitment drive as a reflection of lost credibility and public trust.
“The truth remains that the APC realises that it has become the most hated party in Nigeria.
No amount of defections can save it from Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods the ruling party has destroyed since it came to power,” Abdullahi stated.
The party further argued that the recent wave of defections into the APC represents a betrayal of the Nigerian people by members of the political elite who prioritize personal gain over public welfare.
“As we have noted earlier, the recent gale of high-profile defections to the ruling party is seen by ordinary Nigerians as a gang-up against the people by a ruling elite who have abandoned citizens in poverty while pursuing self-preservation,” the statement read.
The ADC challenged the APC National Chairman to name the supposed “key figures” expected to defect from the party, describing his comments as another display of the APC’s desperation.
“We wonder if the APC has run out of governors to seduce that it has now resorted to shadowy references to unnamed ADC members.
If these individuals are so ‘key,’ let the chairman of the party mention their names,” Abdullahi said.
Drawing a comparison between the APC and the former ruling party, the PDP, the ADC said the APC was repeating the same mistakes that led to the downfall of its predecessor.
“There is nothing new in the game the APC is playing. It is the same ruinous pattern the PDP followed at the height of its power.
The APC will also learn the bitter lesson that real democratic power lies with the people, not a few power merchants,” the party concluded.
