By Achile Danjuma
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to divert public attention from its economic and security record by obsessively focusing on opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s personal opinions.
In a statement issued on Monday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said the APC’s response to recent criticism from Catholic Bishops reveals a party unable to defend its governance record.
“The APC wants the 2027 election to be about personalities because it cannot defend its performance,” Abdullahi said. “They want this election to be about Obasanjo’s personal opinion of Atiku based on a distant past because they cannot defend Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s record based on current performance.”
The statement comes after Catholic Bishops reportedly raised concerns about worsening poverty, insecurity, and the rising cost of living during a recent meeting with President Tinubu. The ADC accused the ruling party of attacking the Bishops rather than addressing their substantive concerns.
“Whenever respected Nigerians point to the deepening poverty, worsening insecurity, rising cost of living, or the collapse of public confidence under this administration, the APC never answers for its record,” Abdullahi said. “Instead, it looks for someone to attack. Yesterday, it was the Catholic Bishops. Today, it is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Tomorrow, it will be someone else.”
The ADC challenged the APC government to answer specific questions about its economic management, including why food prices continue to soar despite proclaimed economic growth, why poverty has deepened, and why the government is spending 69% of revenue on debt servicing—a figure the World Bank has described as dangerously high.
The party also defended Atiku Abubakar’s record as Vice President under Obasanjo, noting that Nigeria experienced stronger economic growth and greater macroeconomic stability during that period.
“While President Obasanjo was in office, with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar serving as Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council, Nigeria experienced stronger economic growth, greater macroeconomic stability, stronger investor confidence, and a far more affordable cost of living than Nigerians endure today,” the statement read.
“Whatever political differences may now exist between the two men, that record remains a matter of public history and cannot be erased.”
The APC had not issued an official response to the ADC’s allegations at the time of this report. However, party officials have previously dismissed opposition criticism as politically motivated.
Political analysts note that the exchange reflects an intensifying campaign season, with both parties already positioning themselves for the 2027 presidential election. The ADC, while a smaller opposition party, has sought to align itself with the broader critique of the APC’s economic policies under President Tinubu.