The All Progressives Congress on Tuesday said that Nigeria’s opposition parties had failed woefully on all counts, describing them as directionless.
The APC spokesman in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, in a statement, said the party observed with grave concern the deteriorating state of the so-called opposition parties in Nigeria.
He said that the absence of credible opposition was not good as the nation gradually approaches the 2027 general elections.
“Rather than serve as credible watchdogs, policy challengers, or intellectual counterweights to the ruling party, the opposition has degenerated into a coalition of desperation, confusion, and hypocrisy—the very bane of Nigeria’s democratic growth.
“The health of any democracy is measured by the quality, depth, and seriousness of its opposition – its ideas, organisation, and consistency. Sadly, Nigeria’s opposition has failed woefully on all counts. It lacks leadership, cohesion, and a binding political philosophy.
“The nation has watched in disbelief as individuals who once claimed to stand for ideological purity now leapfrog from one platform to another in search of personal relevance. The opposition’s moral compass has been completely eroded, leaving behind a band of opportunists united only by their lust for power,” Mr Oladejo said.
According to him, today’s reality of opposition stands in sharp contrast to the opposition years under the leadership of now President Bola Tinubu.
Describing Mr Tinubu as a master political strategist and democrat, he said that the former opposition leader, now president, built a formidable coalition rooted in principles, ideas, and structure.
He said that Mr Tinubu’s opposition politics was defined by clarity of purpose, ideological direction, and consistency of engagement.
“He offered Nigerians a credible alternative founded on progressivism, good governance, and national unity,” he said.
Mr Oladejo said that it was that brand of purposeful and issue-driven opposition that gave birth to the APC.
”The APC of today is a testament to what visionary and responsible opposition politics can achieve when driven by patriotism rather than personal ambition,” he said.
He said that Mr Tinubu’s administration had continued to pursue the Renewed Hope Agenda with courage and clarity.
Mr Oladejo also said that the president had been implementing tough but necessary reforms to reposition the economy and restore national pride.
“The APC finds it troubling that none of the opposition parties has presented any coherent roadmap for the economy, security, education, or social development. Their default strategy remains to demonise government policies while offering no credible alternatives.
“Such an unserious and visionless opposition can only undermine the progress of democracy by reducing public discourse to noise and confusion,” he added.
According to him, Nigerians are fast losing interest in a political opposition that neither inspires confidence nor offers any hope of genuine change.
“Democracy thrives on choice – and when one side of the political divide consistently fails to evolve, citizens naturally disengage from the process. Let it be known that democracy thrives not just on the conduct of elections but on the quality of engagement between the ruling party and a constructive opposition.
“Unfortunately, what we have today is a fragmented assemblage of self-appointed messiahs and expired politicians who mistake social media noise for national relevance,” he said.
(NAN)
