The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected claims that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working to weaken the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that such allegations are unfounded and misleading.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, accused former Senate President David Mark and his associates of spreading false narratives about the administration’s intentions.

The APC scribe maintained that Nigeria’s democratic space remains open, noting that the country currently has 19 registered political parties eligible to participate in the 2027 elections.

He stressed that the President lacks the constitutional authority to deregister political parties or interfere in their internal affairs.

Addressing the leadership crisis within the ADC, Basiru attributed the dispute to internal disagreements among its members rather than any external interference.

Flanked by the National publicity secretary of the party, Mr. Felix Morka, he claimed that the faction aligned with Mark mishandled its legal challenge by approaching the Court of Appeal while jurisdictional issues were still pending at the Federal High Court.

According to him, the appellate court dismissed the appeal on procedural grounds, citing failure to obtain leave for an interlocutory appeal and the pursuit of similar arguments in parallel courts.

He added that the court ruled the appeal incompetent, awarded ₦2 million in costs against the David Mark led faction, and ordered parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive case.

“The development clearly reflects procedural lapses and poor legal strategy, not interference from the APC or the presidency,” Basiru said, urging Nigerians and the international community to disregard what he described as “unserious political narratives.”

The APC scribe also dismissed claims that the ruling party is fueling crises within opposition parties, insisting that such challenges are self-inflicted.

Basiru cautioned against attempts to undermine Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the ADC, warning that doing so could weaken the country’s democratic process.

“INEC supervises political parties and conducts elections. If you undermine INEC, you are undermining democracy itself,” he said.

Turning to the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Basiru traced the problem to internal legal disputes and mismanagement of court processes.

He alleged that the party failed to diligently pursue its case at the Federal High Court and instead focused on appeals, delaying resolution of the matter.

He further accused the PDP of disregarding ongoing legal proceedings by proceeding with congresses and conventions despite unresolved court issues.

Basiru also referenced advice reportedly given by Bukola Saraki against holding the Ibadan convention, noting that party leaders ignored such counsel.

On developments in other opposition parties, including the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), he described defections and internal disagreements as self-inflicted, questioning attempts to link them to the APC or the presidency.

“We cannot act as national secretary for APC, PDP, NNPP or any other party. Our duty is to our party,” he said.

Reaffirming the ruling party’s focus, Basiru said the APC remains committed to strengthening its internal structures and governance capacity.

“Political party management is a serious matter. That is why we work day and night to ensure our party remains strong and functional,” he added.