Abuja: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that it stands by the ballot and not by the bullet, as it disclosed that it is not interested in truncating Nigeria’s democracy, as alleged by the ruling All Progressives Party (APC).
It said its mission was to rescue power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) through democratic means.
Interim National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Abdullahi was reacting to a tweet by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
He said that Onanuga had alleged that the opposition was planning to overthrow the President Bola Tinubu government before 2027.
Abdullahi described the allegation as a baseless and false narrative aimed at clamping down on opposition leaders and activities under the guise of national security.
“We are not soldiers, we are politicians. We don’t have bullets; we only have the ballots.
“When the time comes, we will only present our solutions and an alternative vision of the future to the Nigerian people and leave them to make their choice,” he said.
He wondered why the APC, the first opposition party to “come to power in Nigeria now appeared to find it strange that there is an opposition at all.”
Abdullahi urged Tinubu to caution his aides against further baseless and dangerous allegations that could escalate tensions even two years ahead of the next election.
He also called on Nigerians to reject any underhanded tactics aimed at discrediting the opposition and silencing alternative voices.
Abdullahi stressed that the health of Nigeria’s democracy depends on a free, open, and competitive political environment.
He said that the ADC remained committed to building a better Nigeria through peace and democratic participation.
