THE Presidency has said there is no plan to restrict the 2027 general elections to only the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that opposition parties remain free to operate within Nigeria’s political space.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communication, Sunday Dare, made this clarification while speaking as a guest on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday monitored by News Point Nigeria.
Dare, a former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, was reacting to a protest staged by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend recognition of the party’s leadership factions following various court rulings.
INEC had announced the suspension of recognition of ADC leadership factions, including the one led by David Mark, citing a March Court of Appeal ruling as well as ongoing internal disputes within the party.
The ADC, however, described the move as a deliberate attempt to exclude it from the 2027 elections and subsequently staged a protest to oppose the decision.
Responding to the allegation, Dare dismissed the claims, maintaining that Nigeria’s political environment remains open and inclusive.
“There are 20 political parties in Nigeria today. No one is stopping them from functioning,” he said.
“The All Progressives Congress will not close shop because other political parties are enmeshed in one crisis or the other,” he added.
The presidential aide accused the ADC and other opposition parties of relying on sentiment rather than focusing on building strong political structures capable of challenging the ruling party.
He further rejected assertions that the APC-led Federal Government was shrinking the political space, insisting that opposition parties continue to operate freely across the country.
“The Federal Government will always protect the rights of the people to carry out their activities,” Dare said.
He pointed to the ability of ADC members to organise protests and the media’s continued criticism of the President as clear indicators of democratic freedom in the country.
“Journalists work freely and criticise the President on a daily basis without interference,” he noted.
“Is it the duty of the President to organise the opposition?” he queried.
Dare also stressed that building a viable political party requires time, sacrifice, and sustained commitment, drawing parallels with the formation and growth of the APC.
“Building a strong political party is a tedious process. We all know how difficult it was to build the APC,” he said.
He maintained that the crisis within the ADC was self-inflicted, arguing that the ruling party should not be blamed for the opposition’s internal challenges.
“The APC is not the architect of ADC’s crisis; it is self-inflicted. Instead of strengthening their party, their leaders are looking for shortcuts,” he stated.
“If you cannot make the necessary sacrifices, you should not blame others for the outcome,” Dare added.