2027: APC challenges opposition to debate policies, not Tinubu

The All Progressives Congress has challenged opposition parties to focus on presenting their manifestos and debating policy issues rather than engaging in personal attacks against President Bola Tinubu and other political leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, stated this on Tuesday when they hosted the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola-led Council of the Wise at the party’s headquarters.

They insisted that the ruling party remained committed to peaceful elections, respect for democratic institutions and issue-based campaigns.

Yilwatda said the APC had accepted electoral defeats and unfavourable court judgments in the past without attacking the Independent National Electoral Commission or the judiciary.

He added that the party routinely reviewed its internal processes to address weaknesses and improve its chances in future elections.

APC national chairman stated, “We are glad we now have voices that speak for the people, particularly those whose voices are not often heard in society, and deserve to be recognised.

“As people of honour, you have come forward to make your voices count and to speak for peace and a united Nigeria. We appreciate your efforts in doing so.

“I would urge you to make your voices louder. It is good to have a voice, but it is even better when that voice is loud enough to be heard.

“Our party is not only talking about the election. Every day, we keep saying that if we do not have a country, none of these political parties will exist. What kind of politics can thrive in a country that is falling apart? That is why peace is very important to all of us.

“As a party, we have lost elections. I can’t remember when someone condemned INEC over the outcome of an election we contested. We have lost elections and suffered setbacks, but we have not always blamed INEC.

“We lost in Anambra, but we did not castigate INEC. We lost in Kano, but we did not want to castigate INEC. We even lost in one of the local government areas in the FCT, but we did not castigate INEC.

“Where we have lost, we have accepted defeat and gone back to examine what happened so that we can improve our chances of winning future elections, rather than condemn the process.”

The APC national chairman said it had accepted unfavourable court judgments in election-related cases, including two rulings delivered on Monday out of 30 cases involving elections conducted by the party.

The APC said it would learn from the setbacks, correct identified lapses and strengthen its internal processes rather than condemn the judiciary, adding that it regularly reviews its activities to improve its performance.

He continued, “We examined our internal processes, including areas where there were disagreements and grievances among our members.

“We recognised that these internal divisions could contribute to electoral losses. We therefore established a committee to engage our members and work towards improving social cohesion within the party.

“Creating a peaceful environment for elections is one of the pillars. Security and peaceful elections are among our priorities. This demonstrates our commitment to ensuring peaceful elections in 2027. Consequently, peaceful elections have become an integral part of our party’s processes.

“To achieve this, we directed party members to report any areas where they perceive a threat of violence to the police, other security agencies and INEC.”

Yilwatda noted that the party was working towards positioning Nigeria as a major economic hub for Africa, challenging opposition parties to demonstrate their commitment to growing the economy and making the country a leading force on the continent.

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He added, “There are opportunities for everyone to contribute to national development. As a party, we are committed to ensuring that we reach our destination.

“That is why we continue to work towards this goal. It is good for this country when political parties present their ideas and chart a way forward for Nigeria. Let them present their manifestos to us, and let us debate them.

“Instead, every day, we hear claims that the President has done this or has not done that, that the President is sick or that he is something else. The opposition does not even discuss the contents of its manifesto.

In his remarks, APC National Secretary, Basiru, accused opposition leaders of focusing on personal attacks against Tinubu instead of addressing national issues, insisting that the ruling party would concentrate on its programmes during the 2027 election campaign.

Basiru urged political parties to respect the judiciary regardless of whether its judgments favoured them, warning that undermining the institution could hinder the growth and advancement of democracy.

He stated, “We have listened to so many opposition leaders whose stock-in-trade is to insult President Tinubu. And they are doing everything to bring Nigeria down. You want to govern the country, and you want the country to burn down? You want the masses to suffer just because you have not occupied that office?

“We are focused on the issues, so when you look at the newspapers today, our members have been advised not to respond to attacks in the same manner.

“We will not engage in such conduct, and you will see this reflected in our campaign. Our campaign will focus on our programmes and activities. We will not seek to bring down or undermine any institution.

“One of the areas we also want to draw attention to and call on political parties to consider is the judiciary. The judiciary belongs to everybody. We must not celebrate the judiciary only when its judgment favours our party and condemn it when it does not.

“Our party has had its fair share of adverse judicial pronouncements in Zamfara, in Rivers and in some of the elections we have contested. We have not, at any point in time, undermined the judiciary. The moment the judiciary is undermined, you cannot have democracy growing and advancing.”

The Ariwoola-led council, in its response, urged political parties to ensure their candidates demonstrate maturity, responsibility and mutual respect during the 2027 general election campaigns.

The ex-CJN stressed that peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections were essential for good governance and national development.

He stated, “The council and indeed Nigerians will be very grateful if all political parties will constantly remind their candidates that as aspiring leaders, they must always demonstrate a high sense of maturity, responsibility and mutual respect during the general campaigns and elections, because Nigeria deserves peaceful, transparent 2027 elections, because for Nigeria to develop, there must be stable good governance, which could best be put in place through free, fair and transparent elections.

“The council therefore wishes to use this opportunity to call on Nigerians to come out en masse and cast their votes to elect leaders of their choice freely and peacefully.

“In general, the council believes that the ability of Nigerians to once more prove the prophets of doom and our detractors wrong largely depends on the conduct of the political parties during the forthcoming 2027 elections.

“They owe it a duty to the Nigerian people to improve upon and consolidate the democratic successes so far achieved in Nigeria over the last 26 years.

“The council will continue to be reminding all the stakeholders to always listen to their own wise counsel before acting.”

In recent weeks, opposition leaders have intensified their criticism of Tinubu, drawing mixed reactions from Nigerians.

While some believe such criticism is necessary for holding the incumbent government accountable, others argue that the opposition leaders have fallen short of the statesmanship expected of them in their choice of words.