The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of stifling opposition voices and weaponizing state power against dissenters.
Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of the ADC Secretariat in Ilorin, Kwara State, Aregbesola said the APC-led government had failed Nigerians through greed and incompetence, leading to widespread hunger, insecurity, and infrastructural decay.
“Under the current administration, hunger has taken over the land. Governance has been reduced to personal enrichment and political intimidation. Nigerians are suffering because of the failure of leadership at all levels under the APC,” he stated.
The former Minister of Interior accused the ruling party of resorting to oppression rather than engaging in democratic competition.
“If the APC is confident of its strength, it would not be hounding and haunting opposition members everywhere,” he added.
Aregbesola described the ADC as a “party of conscience and service,” asserting that it represents the only credible alternative for Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The hatred of Nigerians for the ruling party is obvious, and the party that will harvest that unpopularity is the ADC,” he declared.
Also speaking at the event, former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said the unveiling of the ADC Secretariat signaled the beginning of a new political direction in the state.
“This is the beginning of a new direction in our political experience. The ADC is poised to entrench a party that reflects the true aspirations of Kwarans,” Ahmed noted.
In his remarks, the ADC National Publicity Secretary and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a “dead party awaiting its obituary,” stressing that the ADC had emerged as the only viable opposition to the APC.
“The question is no longer whether Kwarans want the APC; that question has been answered. They don’t. The question now is whether we can convince them that ADC is the only alternative and that’s exactly what we’ll do in the coming elections,” Abdullahi said.
He further decried the rising insecurity across communities in Kwara, warning that the situation had crippled agriculture and endangered rural livelihoods.
“Our people can no longer farm safely. The government must do more to restore peace and ensure that the lives of citizens are protected,” he added.
