The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of owing its staff salaries for more than one year, questioning the party’s capacity to manage Nigeria’s affairs if elected into government.
The council also criticised the ADC leadership, including its National Working Committee Chairman, Senator David Mark, and Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, over the alleged failure to pay party workers.
In a statement issued on Monday, the spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, described the alleged non-payment of salaries as unacceptable, arguing that the party could not promise Nigerians a better future while neglecting its own workforce.
“It is unconscionable that a political party that has made many grandiose promises to hoodwink Nigerians owes its workers for more than 12 months,” Alake said.
He added that workers who depended on their salaries for daily sustenance should not be left without pay for extended periods.
“Owing staff who come to work every day and who rely on the salaries for their daily sustenance is wicked and reprehensible,” he said.
The APC council said the allegation raised questions about the ADC’s credibility and its claims to offer Nigerians an alternative political leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It also criticised the ADC’s presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, alleging that he and other party leaders were more interested in securing political power than addressing the country’s challenges.
“With this development, Nigerians can now see the emptiness and insincerity of those parading themselves as ‘new saviours’,” the statement said.
The council further alleged that Atiku had a history of failing to pay employees in his businesses, citing claims of salary delays at Gotel Communication and other enterprises associated with him.
According to the APC, some workers at the businesses had reportedly gone months without receiving their salaries and other benefits, prompting protests over the alleged arrears.
The statement also criticised Aregbesola’s record as governor of Osun State, accusing his administration of mishandling the state’s finances and failing to meet its obligations to workers and pensioners.
The APC alleged that the former governor’s administration introduced quarter-salary and half-salary payments for civil servants during his eight-year tenure.
It further claimed that pensioners were neglected for more than four years, with some allegedly dying after struggling to afford basic necessities.
“The record of the ADC General Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, on paying workers’ salaries and pensioners in Osun State, where he was a governor for eight years, was abysmal,” the statement said.
The council argued that the allegations against the ADC leadership contradicted the party’s promises to improve governance and the welfare of Nigerians.
“We are therefore not surprised that ADC, harbouring birds of the same feather, cannot pay its workers’ salaries,” Alake said.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council subsequently urged Nigerians and workers across the country to reject the ADC, Atiku and the party’s candidates in the 2027 general elections.
“We are sounding a warning to Nigerians and working people now: reject ADC. Reject Atiku Abubakar and reject all ADC candidates in the next general elections,” the statement said.
The council maintained that a political party seeking to govern Nigeria should demonstrate its commitment to workers’ welfare by managing its internal affairs responsibly.
“A party that aspires to govern Nigeria and which cannot be trusted with something as basic as the management of its own affairs and the welfare of its workforce should be rejected by Nigerians,” Alake added.
The statement was signed by Alake on October 26, 2026.
The allegations against the ADC, Atiku and Aregbesola were contained in the APC Presidential Campaign Council’s statement.