In a sharp and confrontational response, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has thrown down a direct challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), demanding it publicly name the “key figures” it claims are set to defect from the opposition party. The ADC described the APC’s boast as the latest sign of a party grown desperate to manufacture legitimacy through a staged parade of defections.
The political spat was ignited over the weekend by the APC’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda. Speaking during a meeting with APC stakeholders in Jos, Plateau State, Yilwatda portrayed the ruling party as the nation’s “new bride,” reveling in a recent wave of high-profile defections.
Amidst news of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State joining the APC and reports of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri soon formalising his defection, Yilwatda made a specific claim about the ADC. “Next week, I will be receiving some notable figures from the ADC,” he declared. “Some of those who had earlier defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ADC are now returning to the APC.” He added that many of the incoming members “have completed their medicals” and would be formally unveiled the following week.
However, the ADC fired back on Sunday, refusing to let the claim go uncontested. In a strongly-worded statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party framed the APC’s announcement as an act of profound desperation rather than strength.
“This statement underscores a deep realisation by the ruling party that it cannot be saved even if all the governors in Nigeria defected to the ruling party,” the statement read. It argued that the APC’s active pursuit of ADC members, despite already wooing several governors, reveals a party acutely aware of its own deep-seated unpopularity. “This is why, even with all the governors and senators they have been bragging about, the APC is still desperate for ADC members.”
The ADC went on to articulate what it believes is the true public perception of the recent defections, framing them as a betrayal of the Nigerian people. “Like we have noted earlier, the recent gale of high-profile defections to the ruling party is properly understood by ordinary Nigerians as a gang-up against the people by a ruling elite who have left the people behind in abject poverty and are only interested in self-preservation even as their people wallow in misery.”
The core of the ADC’s rebuttal, however, was its direct challenge to the substance of the APC’s claim. Expressing scepticism, the party questioned the credibility of the unnamed defectors and dared the ruling party to be transparent.
“We wonder if the APC has run out of governors to seduce, that it has now turned to shadowy references to unnamed ADC members?” the statement queried. It then issued a clear challenge: “If these individuals are so ‘key’, let the chairman of the hated party mention their names.”
This dare casts the APC’s announcement as a potential bluff, suggesting that the ruling party is relying on vague psychological operations rather than concrete political gains. The ADC drew a historical parallel, noting, “There is nothing new in the game that the APC is playing. It is the same ruinous game that the PDP played at the height of its powers.”
Concluding its statement, the ADC reaffirmed its determination to position itself as a credible opposition force ahead of the 2027 general elections, signalling that it would not be intimidated by the ruling party’s defection drive. It issued a stern warning to the APC, stating, “The APC will also learn the bitter lesson that real democratic power lies with the people and not a few power merchants.”
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