Sunday Dare, presidential special adviser on media and communication, says President Bola Tinubu will not interfere in helping crisis-ridden political parties resolve their problems. Mr Dare, former youths and sports minister, said this on Channels TV.
He was reacting to the African Democratic Congress’ Wednesday protest regarding INEC’s derecognition of the political party leadership factions due to various court rulings.
The Independent National Electoral Commission suspended recognition of the ADC leadership factions, including the one led by David Mark, due to a March Court of Appeal ruling and ongoing internal leadership disputes.
The ADC called it a “plot” to block them from the 2027 elections and has protested the decision.
“There are 20 political parties in Nigeria today. No one is stopping them from functioning. The All Progressives Congress will not close shop because other political parties are enmeshed in one crisis or the other,” the presidential spokesman said.
Mr Dare accused the ADC and other political rivals of seeking to play on sentiments and emotions instead of building strong political outfits to challenge the ruling party. He rejected suggestions that the APC-led government was closing down the political space.
According to Mr Dare, Mr Tinubu’s administration recognises the freedom of the opposition and all Nigerians, adding that the ADC leaders protesting freely is a testament to that freedom.
“The federal government will always protect the rights of the people to carry out their activities. Journalists work freely and attack the president on daily basis with no one stopping them from doing their job.
“Is it supposed to be the duty of the president to help organise the opposition? Building a strong political party is a tedious process. We all know how difficult it was to build the APC.
“APC is not the architect of ADC’s crisis. It is self-inflicted. Instead of building their party into a strong force, the leaders are looking for short cuts. Building a strong political force requires sacrifice and hardwork. If you cannot do that, don’t blame someone else for the resultant failure,” Mr Dare explained.
(NAN)
