The All Progressives Congress (APC) has told the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to stop blaming it for its internal crisis, describing the opposition party’s attacks on the judiciary as senseless and irresponsible.
In a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, CON, the ruling party said the ADC has developed a habit of praising the judiciary only when judgments favour it, and attacking the courts when rulings go against it.
“Every time a court decides against the Senator David Mark-led factional ADC, they accuse the 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,” Morka said.
“That is the habitual folly of a vessel of a party scuttled by its own pirate leaders.”
The APC said the ADC wants to win power and govern democratic Nigeria without any 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 statement said.
Morka clarified that the APC is neither a party nor an interlocutor in the case that has thrown the ADC into crisis.
“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,” he said.
He explained that the case resulted from a legal challenge brought by ADC national officers victimized by what he called the “bare-faced heist” of the party’s leadership by David Mark and his co-pirates to satisfy Atiku Abubakar’s 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,” Morka added.
The APC referenced Thursday’s judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which sacked the David Mark-led leadership of ADC and nullified all official acts of the illegitimate leadership, including its primary election processes and outcomes.
Morka said the judgment was procured by ADC’s own lawlessness and demonstrates the vibrancy of the rule of law and independence of the judiciary in Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
The APC advised the ADC to exercise its constitutional right of appeal rather than engage in partisan mudslinging 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,” Morka said.
He added that the APC 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.
