Former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of controlling opposition political parties in Nigeria, claiming that his African Action Congress (AAC) was the only exception.
But, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp declared that the growing strength of Nigeria’s opposition coalition triggered fear within APC and its allies, including former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking on Rubbin’ Minds, a Channels Television talk show, yesterday, the human rights activist claimed that most of Nigeria’s opposition parties were deliberately created or co-opted by the APC as “special-purpose vehicles” for political convenience.
The 2023 AAC presidential candidate said the coalition led by opposition arrowhead, Atiku Abubakar, should not be taken seriously. According to him, most of the members of the coalition, including former governors Nasir el-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, would return to the APC if things didn’t work out for the coalition in the 2027 election.
According to him, the AAC, which he founded in 2018, remains the only genuine opposition among the 18 registered political parties in the country.
Sowore said: “What we found out in our little research is that most of the parties that are left, apart from AAC, are parties that were created by the major parties. They call them feeder parties or special-purpose vehicles.”
He alleged that these smaller parties are often funded during election seasons by the APC to serve strategic interests, such as filing legal challenges that could be manipulated later in the ruling party’s favour.
MEDIA Adviser to Atiku, Paul Ibe, in a chat with newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, accused APC and its supporters of resorting to baseless attacks on the coalition out of panic over its potential to end their reign.
“They’re scared because they know the coalition represents a formidable platform that could remove this administration. Even if some leaders defect to their political party, the reality is that Nigerians are defecting to the coalition. It embodies their aspiration, a platform to end this failed government,” he said.
Ibe also criticised the government’s handling of critical national issues, particularly security and the economy. He referenced escalating killings in states like Benue and Plateau, as well as the rising cost of living, as evidence of the administration’s failure to protect and provide for citizens.
“The primary responsibility of any government is to protect lives and ensure the well-being of its people. If they can’t do that, why are they in power? The value of human life in our country has hit an all-time low, especially under this administration,” he asserted.
