THE Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has firmly rejected allegations by opposition parties that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is working to ensure it emerges as the only viable party on the ballot in the 2027 general elections.
Dare made this known on Wednesday while speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television monitored by News Point Nigeria, where he maintained that there is no plan either covert or overt—to restrict the ballot to the APC.
“There is no design whether covertly or overtly to have just the APC on the ballot. We have 21 parties registered to compete on the ballot; every party has the right to field a candidate. Now the APC will not roll out the carpet and close shop because other parties are struggling,” Dare stated.
His comments come in response to claims made a day earlier by Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who accused the APC of instigating crises within opposition parties as a strategy to avoid strong competition in the 2027 elections.
Abdullahi, who also appeared on Politics Today, alleged that Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC were attempting to steer Nigeria toward a one-party state, vowing that the ADC would resist any such move.
According to him, the president is aware of his unpopularity, and internal polls within the ruling party have allegedly triggered a state of panic.
However, Dare dismissed the allegations outright, insisting that the APC is not responsible for shrinking democratic space in the country. He pointed to the ability of the ADC to freely approach the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with protests as clear evidence that political freedom remains intact.
The presidential aide further stressed that neither the APC nor President Tinubu is intimidated by opposition parties, noting that while the president remains focused on governance, the party continues to manage its political affairs independently.
Dare also maintained that the ruling party has no hand in the internal crises facing opposition parties, describing the situation within the ADC as self-inflicted.
“What you are seeing here is self-inflicted. You decide to come in through the backdoor, you decide to ignore the fact that there are petitions and court cases.
“You decide to think that because you are in the opposition and you can shout very loud… what has happened to the ADC in the last several months is a locus classicus of how not to run an opposition, how not to hijack a political party, and how not to run a party,” he said.
He added that rather than directing blame at the ruling party or the president, the ADC should pursue legal redress and substantiate its claims in court.
