By Kolawole Ojebisi
From all indications, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has refused to be lumped with other opposition parties allegedly being bankrolled by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to scuttle possible coalition against it in order for the ruling party to retain its hold on power come 2027.
This is as APGA has challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to provide concrete evidence to support his claim that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is bribing opposition parties with N50 million.
Recall that Atiku made the allegation on Monday while speaking as a panellist at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria held in Abuja.
The event was organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, the Centre for Democracy and Development, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, and the National Peace Committee.
The former VP warned that Nigeria’s democracy was at risk if the alleged practice continued. Reacting to the claim, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, on Thursday, dismissed Atiku’s allegation as baseless and unsubstantiated.
“APGA is compelled to respond to the baseless allegation made by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, claiming that the ruling APC is buying over opposition parties with N50 million.
“We condemn this assertion in the strongest terms, as it is without any proof or substance. It is unfortunate that Atiku has resorted to spreading unfounded rumours, which only serves to heat up the polity and undermine the country’s democratic process,” the statement read.
It added: “If indeed Atiku’s interest is to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, we urge him to provide specific details of the opposition parties that have collected the said N50 million. It’s time for him to put up or shut up!”
The party insisted that it remains committed to issue-based politics and constructive engagement, rather than lending credence to sensational claims.
“We, therefore, challenge Atiku to mention names, provide evidence, and substantiate his claims. Anything short of this is mere political grandstanding, which will not be taken seriously by Nigerians,” the statement added.
