By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
The war of words between Nigeria’s major political actors exploded Thursday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) launched a blistering counterattack against the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring that the opposition party is “its own nemesis” and needs no external force to engineer its collapse.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja by Felix Morka, CON
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed as “delusional and reckless” the ADC’s allegation that the ruling party was responsible for a reported shooting incident involving ADC members in Edo State.
The ADC had, in a February 25 statement, accused the APC of masterminding the attack, a claim the ruling party says was made even before security agencies could commence investigations.
Reacting sharply, Felix Morka, accused the ADC of appointing itself “accuser, investigator, prosecutor and judge” in a manner that should properly be handled by law enforcement authorities.
“It is utterly senseless,” the APC fired back, arguing that the ADC’s rush to apportion blame exposes what it described as a party lacking discipline, focus and respect for due process.
The ruling party did not stop there.
In a scathing critique, the APC described the ADC’s reference to “acts of terrorism by the ruling APC” as flippant, irresponsible and dangerously insensitive, particularly at a time when Nigerian troops are battling insurgency and violent extremism across various theatres.
According to the APC, such rhetoric trivializes the sacrifices of security personnel on the frontline and attempts to weaponize public emotion for political sympathy.
While condemning violence in all forms, the APC called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation into the Edo incident and bring perpetrators to justice.
But in a dramatic twist, the ruling party insisted that investigators should scrutinize the ADC itself, pointing to what it described as “widely reported internal leadership clashes and factional supremacy battles” within the opposition party.
The APC alleged that the ADC is plagued by internal wrangling and cult-like leadership struggles, suggesting that the shooting may not be unconnected to its internal crises, a claim likely to further inflame political tensions.
Dismissing any link to the incident, the APC said it was preoccupied with consolidating what it described as recent electoral victories in the Federal Capital Territory municipal polls and constituency elections in Rivers and Kano states.
The party also expressed appreciation to Nigerians for what it called growing nationwide support, particularly applauding voters in the FCT, Kano and Rivers states for endorsing its platform and the leadership of Bola Tinubu.
As the political temperature rises, Thursday’s statement signals the deepening of hostilities between the ruling party and the ADC, with accusations, counter-accusations and legal fireworks expected in the days ahead.
For now, the Edo shooting remains under investigation but in Nigeria’s volatile political arena, the battle for narrative supremacy has already begun.
