The All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly rejected allegations made by opposition figures, describing them as baseless noise and politically motivated. This response came in a statement issued by presidential aide Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications.
In a post on X, Dare addressed remarks by former lawmaker Nnenna Elendu Ukeje and a coalition of African Democratic Congress (ADC) legislators. These opposition figures had raised concerns about the state of Nigeria's democracy and the conduct of political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections. Dare accused the opposition of attempting to discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and undermine confidence in the electoral process, even before the official campaign season has begun.
“Even before the official commencement of the election season, the opposition are already screaming blue murder,” Dare said, alleging a pattern of “attack and blackmail” aimed at the presidency and the electoral system. According to him, the ADC legislators’ briefing was “remarkably full of theatrics but short on substance.” He argued that their claims lacked evidence and reflected deeper internal disorganisation within the party.
Dare noted that the opposition, in its own remarks, had acknowledged Tinubu’s historical role in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic space, including his involvement in opposition politics during military rule and his advocacy for pluralism. “They painstakingly chronicled the democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said, adding that attempts to subsequently portray the president as a threat to democracy were “contradictory” and “intellectually untenable.”
On the issue that triggered the exchange, Dare said the president did not mention the ADC directly in his earlier remarks, describing the opposition’s reaction as misplaced. “If the description of ‘noise’ resonates, perhaps the issue is not with the statement but with the conduct it reflects,” he said.
Dare also dismissed allegations of judicial interference, maintaining that Nigeria’s judiciary remains constitutionally independent. “The attempt to cast doubt on the integrity of the courts based on political disagreements is a dangerous path,” he said, warning that such claims could weaken public trust in democratic institutions.
He further rejected attempts to link the presidency to internal disputes within the ADC, stating that “internal party challenges cannot be outsourced to the government.” Dare argued that the opposition coalition was grappling with fragmentation and lacked ideological cohesion, describing it as a group driven more by political ambition than shared principles. “What we see is not a coalition of ideas, but a congregation of political opportunists,” he said.
The exchange comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 elections, with debates intensifying over electoral credibility, governance, and institutional independence. While opposition figures have raised concerns about democratic backsliding, the APC insists that Nigeria’s constitutional order remains intact. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains a committed democrat,” Dare said, adding that his record reflects consistent respect for the rule of law and democratic institutions.
He urged opposition parties to focus on strengthening their internal processes and presenting credible alternatives to voters, rather than engaging in what he described as alarmist rhetoric. “Nigerians deserve a political discourse grounded in facts, not fiction,” Dare said, emphasising that democracy is sustained through “discipline, organisation and credibility.”
