The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed allegations of political interference in the internal crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting it has no responsibility to shield opposition parties from internal crises.
Felix Morka, national publicity secretary of the APC, stated this on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television.
Morka said the challenges currently facing the ADC are self-inflicted and should not be blamed on the ruling party.
“In a democracy, there is no obligation imposed on a ruling party anywhere in the world to babysit the political opposition,” he said.
He accused the ADC of exaggerating its predicament and seeking undue sympathy.
“Right now, the ADC is screaming and whining like they need a babysitter. That babysitter will not be the APC,” he said.
Morka argued that the APC has a track record of complying with the rule of law, even when it came at a political cost.
He cited the 2019 elections in Zamfara and Rivers states, where the APC was barred from fielding candidates due to internal disputes.
“At the time, we were the ruling party, yet we did nothing to interfere with INEC’s decision. We complied fully,” he said.
He also referenced a more recent case in Ondo state, where the party conducted a fresh congress after complying with a court order.
Morka said the APC expects the ADC to follow similar legal processes rather than accuse the ruling party of interference.
“Why should the ADC be exempt from complying with due process?” he asked.
He denied any involvement by the APC in the internal disputes within the ADC, including ongoing court cases.
“We did not register any member for them. We did not file any case. We are not the court that issued rulings against them,” he said.
Morka also criticised the ADC for focusing on media engagements and international outreach instead of resolving its legal issues.
“Instead of pursuing accelerated hearing as directed by the court, they are busy holding press conferences and travelling abroad,” he said.
He warned that failure to resolve internal disputes within the legal timeframe could have consequences for the party’s participation in future elections.
