The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council that it owes its staff salaries for more than one year, describing the claims as an irresponsible falsehood intended to distract Nigerians from the economic challenges facing the country.
The opposition party accused the APC of using propaganda to divert attention from rising living costs, unemployment and insecurity, insisting that the ruling party should focus on defending its record rather than making allegations against opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this in a press statement issued on Monday in response to an earlier statement by the APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Dele Alake.
The APC had accused the ADC National Working Committee, led by Senator David Mark as chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as secretary, of failing to pay party workers for more than 12 months.
However, Abdullahi rejected the allegation and challenged the ruling party to provide evidence to substantiate its claims.
“The ADC categorically rejects this allegation as an irresponsible falsehood, deliberately concocted to mislead Nigerians and distract attention from the monumental failures of the Tinubu administration,” he said.
“If the APC has any credible evidence to support its claims, it should produce it rather than continue to insult Nigerians with fabricated stories masquerading as press statements.”
The ADC said it was not surprised by the allegations, which it described as an attempt by the ruling party to change the public conversation away from the country’s economic difficulties.
The party also questioned the APC’s decision to criticise the welfare of opposition party workers, arguing that the government should first address concerns about the living conditions of Nigerians.
“We find it rather amusing that a government that has presided over one of the most painful periods of economic hardship in our country’s recent history now considers itself qualified to lecture anyone about the welfare of workers,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the APC’s allegations reflected what the opposition party described as an attempt to shift attention from the administration’s performance.
“But perhaps we should not be surprised. When a government has no achievements to defend, it must manufacture allegations to discuss,” he said.
Abdullahi maintained that the central issues confronting Nigerians were the rising cost of living, unemployment and insecurity, rather than the allegations surrounding the ADC’s internal affairs.
“The real issue is not the imaginary crisis that the APC is desperately trying to manufacture within the ADC. The real issue is the crisis that President Bola Tinubu and his government have created in the homes of millions of Nigerians,” he said.
He added that economic hardship had become a major concern for households, while young people continued to face difficulties accessing jobs and opportunities.
“The real issue is the cost of living. The real issue is the absence of jobs and opportunities for our young people. The real issue is the insecurity that continues to threaten lives, livelihoods, and communities across the country,” Abdullahi said.
According to him, these concerns should form the basis for assessing the government’s performance rather than allegations directed at opposition parties.
“These are the issues on which this government must be judged, and no amount of propaganda can redeem it,” he added.
The ADC further accused the APC of preparing for the 2027 general elections by focusing on accusations against political opponents rather than presenting its achievements to Nigerians.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the APC has decided to run its 2027 campaign on allegations against the opposition rather than achievements of its own,” Abdullahi said.
“That is what happens when a government has spent years making promises it cannot keep and excuses it cannot defend.”
The party advised Alake and other APC leaders to concentrate on explaining the administration’s policies and addressing public concerns instead of making allegations against the opposition.
“We therefore advise Mr Alake and his colleagues to spend less time inventing stories about the ADC and more time explaining why Nigerians should reward their party with another term after the hardship, insecurity and economic uncertainty of the last three years,” he said.
Abdullahi also argued that the government’s control of state institutions did not mean it could dictate how citizens experienced the country’s economic conditions.
“The APC may control the machinery of government, but it cannot control the lived experiences of Nigerians. And no amount of propaganda targeted at the opposition can erase the monumental record of the ruling APC,” he said.
The ADC maintained that the cost of living would remain a central issue in its political engagements ahead of the 2027 general elections, adding that it would continue to hold the Federal Government accountable.
“This election is about one issue only: the cost of living that the Tinubu administration has pushed beyond the reach of the majority of Nigerians. The ADC will stay focused on this issue. We will not be distracted,” Abdullahi said.
He insisted that the party would continue to raise concerns about issues affecting ordinary Nigerians despite what it described as attempts to divert attention through allegations against its leadership.
“We will continue to hold this government accountable on the issues that matter to Nigerians,” he said.
The ADC spokesperson also challenged the ruling party to present evidence of its achievements and offer solutions to the challenges facing the country rather than engage in exchanges with opposition parties.
“If the APC has a record to defend, let it defend it. If it has solutions, let it present them. But it should stop insulting the intelligence of Nigerians with these increasingly desperate distractions,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC’s response followed the APC Presidential Campaign Council’s statement accusing the opposition party of failing to meet its salary obligations to workers and questioning its capacity to manage the country’s affairs.
The opposition party rejected the allegations and maintained that the APC should focus on economic hardship, unemployment and insecurity as Nigerians prepare for the 2027 general elections.