Democracy not built on serial defections, APC tells Atiku, Obi
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress has questioned the democratic credentials of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. The party claimed that neither politician played a significant role in the struggle against military rule that birthed Nigeria’s current democracy.
In a statement released Wednesday by spokesperson Seye Oladejo, the APC accused both men of being absent when others faced detention and exile for the sake of the nation. The party criticized them for now positioning themselves as moral arbiters of the country’s democratic process.
“The Lagos State Chapter of the APC finds it imperative to interrogate—the so-called democratic credentials of Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, who have anointed themselves as the conscience of Nigeria’s democracy,” the statement read. The party argued that democracy requires sacrifice rather than “selective outrage.”
The statement further criticized Peter Obi’s political history, labeling his movement between various political platforms as opportunistic. The APC suggested that his actions are driven by personal convenience rather than a commitment to a specific political ideology.
Atiku Abubakar was similarly condemned for his frequent party defections in his pursuit of the presidency. “Democracy is not strengthened by serial defections, nor preserved by treating political parties as mere vehicles of convenience,” the party stated, dismissing such alliances as desperate.
The Lagos APC urged the Nigerian public to judge leaders based on their institutional loyalty and respect for the democratic process after losing elections. They challenged both politicians to provide proof of their contributions to the nation’s freedom beyond “fairytales” or transactional politics.
“Both gladiators are hereby encouraged to accept this as an open challenge and present their democratic credentials to the discerning Nigerian public—devoid of fairytales,” the statement concluded. The party emphasized that the electorate deserves statesmanship over ambition disguised as moral authority
