The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims that recent defections from opposition parties were orchestrated by the ruling party, insisting instead that the exodus was caused by internal mismanagement, disunity, and weak leadership within the opposition.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Friday, December 12, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had only themselves to blame for their troubles.
“When you stressed to them that the problem really is internal to them, it is their own failure to govern themselves effectively, that’s creating the atmosphere and the panic for their members to exit their party,” Morka said.
He explained that political parties collapse when they can no longer provide a functional platform for members to contest and hold power.
“When politicians join a party, they join the party because they want to be able to compete for power, run elections.
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“But when that platform, that vehicle becomes immobile or inoperable, unable to provide that platform on which people can aspire and compete, then, you know, it ceases to be the party properly so-called, and I think that’s the problem they’re dealing with,” he added.
Morka stressed that the APC remained open, democratic, and focused on consolidating Nigeria’s democratic process.
“We’re doing nothing untoward when it comes to our democratic consolidation. As a matter of fact, we are doing more than is expected of a political party to deepen democracy,” he said.
He also accused opposition spokespeople of obsessing over the APC instead of fixing their own internal problems.
“I was expecting that they would come up with some theory or some evidence to verify that the APC was, in fact, engaged in any sort of conduct that was unbecoming of a political party in a democracy… but they did not,” Morka stated.
His comments follow months of high-profile defections, including those of Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), and Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers) — all of whom have moved to the APC, sparking major political realignments across the country.