‘Habitual Folly, Pirate Leaders’ – APC Denies Involvement In ADC Crisis

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied claims that it is responsible for the crisis rocking the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The APC said the leaders of the ADC, which it described as ‘pirates’, are responsible for the challenges facing the opposition party.

It also accused the ADC of always crying foul whenever court judgments go against the party.

“Every time a court decides against the Senator David Mark-led factional African Democratic Congress (ADC), they accuse the All Progressives Congress (APC) of collusion and deprecate the judiciary. Every time a court decides in their favour, they hail the rule of law and extol the judiciary. That is the habitual folly of a vessel of a party scuttled by its own pirate leaders.

“The ADC touts its desire to win power and govern democratic Nigeria without any iota of regard for the authority and independence of the judiciary, an indispensable pillar of any democracy. In their warped reckoning, only courts and judges that side with them are worthy while those that rule differently are a menace to society. That is senselessness in the extreme.

“The court judgment that has sent the ADC in a tailspin had to do with a notorious case initiated by leaders of ADC against pirate leaders of ADC. To be clear, APC is neither a party nor an interlocutor in the matter. Nothing about the case has anything to do with the APC. And the APC has absolutely no role in the party’s judicial quagmire,” the APC said in a statement on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.

Naija News reports that the APC statement follows earlier claims by the ADC that the ruling party is behind the Thursday judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, sacking the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC and invalidating the candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

However, in its denial, the APC clarified that the case that led to the court judgment was initiated by a legal challenge brought by ADC national officers who were dissatisfied with what was happening within the party.

It accused David Mark and Atiku of conducting a hostile takeover of the ADC and only reaping the consequences of their actions.

“The case resulted from a legal challenge brought by ADC national officers victimized by the bare-faced heist of the party’s leadership by David Mark and his co-pirates to satisfy Atiku Abubakar’s quixotic presidential ambition. It didn’t matter to them that their hostile takeover of that party was in flagrant violation of the rule of law and ADC’s internal democracy, as a court of competent jurisdiction has now declared.

“Now they lash out in a fit of rage at the court and innocent spectators for the judicial outcome that was the inevitable consequence of their reckless political misadventure. They rave and rant senselessly, peddle conspiracy theories, but take no
responsibility or accountability for the self-inflicted injury that the court only judicially certified.

“Yesterday’s judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, sacking the David Mark-led leadership of ADC and consequentially nullifying all official acts of the illegitimate party leadership, including its primary election processes and outcomes was procured by their own lawlessness and demonstrates the vibrancy of the rule of law and independence of the judiciary in Nigeria,” Morka added in the statement.

The APC urged the ADC to stop crying wolf and approach the Court of Appeal if it is unsatisfied with the court ruling.

“If ADC is dissatisfied with that decision, it should exercise its constitutional right of appeal rather than engage in partisan mudslinging against our great Party and issuing threats to incite anarchy against the same Nigerians they claim they desire to govern.

“The ADC is a decrepit party, and continues to prove itself as grossly unfit to be taken seriously by Nigerians, and Nigerians are unperturbed by their irresponsible and dangerous rhetoric. A party that cannot fix itself cannot possibly fix Africa’s most important country.

“Our great Party and the President Tinubu administration remain committed to preserving Nigeria’s democracy, upholding the rule of law, and delivering good governance to all Nigerians, and unfazed by the wolf cries of a drowning opposition” the statement concluded.