The All Progressives Congress (APC) has sharply criticized Daily Trust over its recent editorial titled “APC Should Learn From History,” describing it as a “sordid display of editorial bias, daftness and untruths.”
In a strongly worded statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC accused the newspaper of journalistic irresponsibility and acting as “a repeater station of the opposition’s senseless screams.”
The editorial, which expressed concern that recent defections by state governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC could threaten Nigeria’s multiparty democracy, was dismissed by the ruling party as alarmist and constitutionally unfounded.
“The right of association is a constitutional guarantee,” Morka stated, arguing that elected officials, including governors, have the legal right to switch political allegiance even while in office.
“If the framers of our Constitution intended to prohibit governors from defecting, it would have been expressly stated,” he added.
The party challenged Daily Trust to cite any constitutional provision barring defections, asserting that neither governors nor political parties are restricted from realigning politically.
“There is no law or democratic norm that sets a limit to the number or category of citizens who may or may not join a political party,” the APC said.
Describing the editorial as “grossly bereft of reason and rationality,” the party said it was “riddled with falsehoods, conjectures, and outright deception.”
The APC also accused Daily Trust of applying a double standard, saying the newspaper often ignores defections from APC to opposition parties, while framing PDP-to-APC switches as anti-democratic.
“In the paper’s perspective, defections to APC are a threat to democracy, but defections from APC to opposition parties advance democracy. That double standard is glaring, invidious and unacceptable,” Morka argued.
The party reaffirmed that Nigeria’s political system remains multiparty in nature, with 19 registered parties actively participating in the democratic process. It emphasized that growing support for the APC should not be mistaken for an attempt to create a one-party state.
While reiterating its commitment to democratic principles and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the APC maintained that its primary focus remains on improving governance and the lives of Nigerians.
“Our goal remains improving the quality of lives of our people, and building a stronger and more prosperous nation for all,” the statement concluded.
