Don’t Blame Us For Your Misfortune, APC Tells ADC

All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State chapter has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to put its house in order and stop blackmailing the APC for its misfortune.

The party said the latest outburst by a faction of the ADC, alleging that directives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may prevent it from fielding candidates in forthcoming elections, was due to the failure of the party to follow the regulations guiding party registration, and it was never orchestrated by the APC as being portrayed by the party.

According to a statement issued by the party’s publicity secretary, Mr Seye Oladejo, the APC said it will not allow itself to be rubbished, nor will it succumb to any form of blackmail by the ADC.

“Let it be clearly stated: the APC will not be blackmailed into accepting responsibility for the ADC’s ineptitude, recklessness, and desperation-driven miscalculations. As they scramble in search of another political platform to appropriate, they would be well advised to acquaint themselves with the legal principle of caveat emptor-let the buyer beware.

“While political pluralism remains a cornerstone of democracy, it must be stated unequivocally that democracy is governed by laws and institutional procedures, not by sentiment, entitlement, or alarmist propaganda.”

APC noted that the situation confronting the ADC is neither novel nor exceptional, saying, “The APC itself has previously endured similar legal and electoral consequences.

“In Zamfara State during the 2019 general elections, the APC was barred from fielding candidates due to invalid primaries, resulting in the Supreme Court nullifying all its victories.

In Rivers State in the same election cycle, the party was excluded owing to internal disputes and flawed nomination processes, as affirmed by the courts.’

The party stated that the precedents reinforce a simple truth that no political party is above the law, and no amount of noise can substitute for compliance.

“It is therefore disingenuous for a faction-ridden opposition party to externalise blame and attempt to cast the ruling party as a scapegoat for what are clearly self-inflicted wounds. The ADC’s growing reputation for disorder, indiscipline, and procedural recklessness has reduced it to a subject of public ridicule.”

APC stressed that INEC, as the constitutionally empowered electoral body, operates strictly within the law to safeguard the integrity, order, and credibility of the electoral process.

‘Compliance is not optional. Any political party that fails to meet stipulated requirements must bear the full consequences of its own actions,’’ It explained.

APC stated that more troubling is the exposure of ADC’s so-called leadership, individuals who were once presented as seasoned statesmen but now appear directionless, incoherent, and incapable of managing even the most basic requirements of party organisation.