Nigeria A Glitch On Its Own, Says Aisha Yesufu

Prominent activist and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Aisha Yesufu, has described Nigeria as a “glitch” in its current state, citing what she called widespread governance failures across key sectors.

Yesufu made the remark on Thursday while appearing on Politics Today on Channels Television, where she also defended the ADC’s online membership portal following criticisms and complaints about alleged technical glitches.

Responding to concerns that technical issues with the party’s digital registration platform could reflect how it might manage the government if elected, Yesufu dismissed the criticism and instead argued that the country itself is currently not functioning properly.

“Right now, Nigeria as a whole, as it is, is a glitch. There is nothing working, whether economically or in terms of security. We don’t have any of that,” she said.

According to her, the nation is effectively at a standstill, with governance failing to address major security and economic challenges.

“Nigeria is a glitch on its own. It’s on a standstill. There’s no governance and nothing is going on,” she stated.

The activist maintained that the ADC is prepared to govern and is committed to listening to citizens if given the opportunity.

“When you say whether we are ready, we are more than ready. Nigerians know that this is the time. There are people here who are saying we will listen, and yes, of course, we will always listen to Nigerians,” she said.

Yesufu also addressed concerns that the party’s digital membership platform may exclude citizens in rural communities who lack internet access.

She insisted that connectivity is widespread across the country and argued that most Nigerians already use digital platforms for financial transactions.

“There’s no part in Nigeria where you don’t have network. If you want to go and collect money, you use this thing. There’s no part in Nigeria that you go to where you will not be able to collect money or see people register,” she said.

To ensure inclusiveness, she explained that the party has also created a physical registration process at the grassroots level.

“We also have the physical forms that people can fill at each ward. When they fill the form at the grassroots, the details will be uploaded,” she added.

The defence comes amid criticism from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) including comments from Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who mocked the ADC over its online membership registration process.

LEADERSHIP reported that Shettima claimed the ADC’s portal had been flooded with fake identities and fictitious entries.

Speaking during an interfaith breaking of fast hosted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and attended by federal ministers, the vice president also criticised the party over its long-standing demand for real-time electronic transmission of election results.

“The same Alliance for Democratic Confusion that was adamant that we must have electronic transmission of votes opened their portal for membership registration, and it was overwhelmed by an avalanche of fake names and fictitious identities,” Shettima said.