By Patrick Wemambu
African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s claim that some House of Assembly candidates from Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara States have defected to the ruling party, describing the claim as “wishful thinking” and a fabrication.
ADC, in a statement on Monday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, alleged that the individuals recently paraded by the APC were neither its candidates nor recognised leaders of the party.
The ADC said the APC could not simply assemble individuals at its national secretariat, assign them ADC credentials and present them to the public as defectors from the opposition party.
“The APC cannot assemble random individuals at its secretariat, confer imaginary ADC credentials on them and then announce their defection.
“While the APC Chairman is welcome to receive visitors, he should stop introducing them to Nigerians as people they are not. These people are not our candidates,” the statement partly read.
The ADC also rejected the claim that the purported defectors were attracted to the APC by what the ruling party described as the “remarkable transformation” of Northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The ADC further challenged the APC to provide details of the alleged defectors’ identities and political positions within the party.
The party asked the APC to identify the ADC offices the individuals allegedly held, the constituencies where they contested as ADC candidates and the periods during which they occupied such positions.
