The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over his comment that he was prepared to ‘fight to the finish’ politically.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party stated that Tinubu should direct that resolve against terrorists, bandits and kidnappers instead of the opposition.

The ADC said with the incessant killings and kidnappings in various parts of the country, Nigerians are looking to the President for decisive action against insecurity, not another political showdown with his opponents.

According to the opposition, Tinubu’s remarks were troubling, noting that they came during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, only hours after gunmen killed at least 30 people in Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“Nigerians did not elect a Commander-in-Chief to become the nation’s chief issuer of condolence statements.

“Mr President, the fight Nigerians elected you to lead is not against the opposition. It is against the terrorists, kidnappers and armed criminals who continue to kill innocent citizens and destabilise communities across the country,” the ADC said in the statement.

According to the ADC, the attack on Naridon village left homes burnt, families displaced and yet another community devastated by violence, arguing that such tragedies demanded stronger action from the Federal Government.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that it will not trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with its votes in the 2027 general election.

The party insisted that it would take steps to protect every vote cast for its candidates.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, made the declaration on Wednesday in Ilorin while speaking with journalists during a walk organised to sensitise residents of the Kwara State capital about the party’s activities and preparations ahead of the 2027 elections.

Abdullahi said the party had resolved not to rely solely on the electoral umpire, despite acknowledging that there are officials within the commission who are committed to doing the right thing.

He said that although there are still committed officials within INEC, elections should not be conducted based on trust alone.

“We know what INEC is capable of. We trusted the commission during the 2023 general election, but the outcome left us disappointed. We will not make the same mistake again by relying solely on trust,” he said.

According to him, the ADC is determined to defend its votes across the country, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the election.

He said the party was confident that President Bola Tinubu would lose the election because it was determined to protect its votes, regardless of whether the election was free and fair.

“We are not going to tell you, but that is what we are going to do if we must win this election,” he stated.

The New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Tinubu administration of utilizing all possible strategies to destabilise the party.

Currently, the NNPP is split into two rival factions: one loyal to Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiya Movement, and the other led by Dr Boniface Aniebonam and Dr Agbo Gilbert Major.

Following the 2023 general elections, Major and Aniebonam were expelled from the party due to allegations of anti-party activities, yet they have remained defiant.

DAILY POST reports that both individuals have sought legal recourse in various courts nationwide, initially without success, until they recently obtained favorable rulings from courts, including a directive from the FCT High Court in Maitama instructing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise the Major-led National Working Committee, NWC.

Despite this faction not conducting primary elections and not being included in the membership register submitted to INEC by the NWC led by Bala Yunusa Muhammed, INEC has granted them access to its portal to submit the names of candidates for the upcoming 2027 general elections.

During a press conference at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Mohammed, the National Chairman of the NNPP aligned with Kwankwaso, expressed his astonishment at INEC’s prompt recognition of the Major-led faction, despite previous assurances to collaborate with his faction.

When asked about the origins of the NNPP crisis, the party Chair stated, “The ruling party or the current government is likely responsible, as we have consistently received favorable judgments until suddenly, they approached a lower court in Abuja and Abia State, obtaining a default judgment. It is widely understood that a judgment cannot be rendered without a fair hearing for both parties involved.

“For such a judgment to be issued, it is evident that something is amiss. There are unseen influences at play, indicating that certain forces are behind these actions.”

In discussing the reasons he believes the APC and the current government are intent on undermining the NNPP, he remarked, “Following the 2023 general election, we emerged as the third most popular political party in Nigeria. Consequently, these forces perceive our party as a threat and are attempting to instigate chaos within our ranks. They have begun to exploit expelled members of our party, providing them with funding to create unrest within our organization.

“INEC acted prematurely. They should have upheld the status quo they communicated to us during our meeting at their office. We are uncertain as to why they altered their position. If a judgment is rendered and we are dissatisfied with it, we have the right to appeal. It is imperative that they wait for the appeal to be resolved before making any decisions. However, they did not wait; they hastily made a decision by appointing individuals who are not even recognized as members of the NNPP.

“These individuals have been expelled and are not included in the NNPP membership register, as INEC has mandated that all party member registrations be conducted electronically and submitted by May 10th, which we have complied with. Therefore, it is unacceptable to appoint someone who is not a member of the party to lead it.”