NDC was speaking on the 2027 general elections and the activities of the ruling party towards the opposition.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of damaging the country’s democracy with its actions since taking over from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, levelled the allegation against the ruling party on Saturday while appearing as a guest on Symfoni TV.
He was speaking on the 2027 general elections and the conduct of the ruling party towards the opposition.
According to Director, the APC respects neither the independence of the judiciary nor the freedom of the press.
The NDC went on to add that the APC lacks a basic understanding of the role of the opposition in a democracy, as it treats its “political opponents as enemies that must be crushed”.
ALSO READ: Bwala claims Cardinal Onaiyekan spoke for Catholics, not all Christians in his rebuke of Tinubu
Speaking during the interview, Director said: “The APC has damaged our democracy. Let me quickly say that what we are witnessing with the APC government, starting from 2015 till now, is succinctly captured and explained by two political science scholars at Harvard University who wrote a book, Why Democracies Die. The conclusion of that book was that democracy is not going to be perilled from the outside.
”The greatest challenge to democracy is not the armoured tank or the booming guns, but those who find themselves in positions of authority through the democratic process, who then use their position to subvert democracy and undermine democratic institutions.
”That is what we are witnessing in Nigeria today, where there is no respect for the judiciary and no respect for freedom of the press. You treat your political opponents as enemies that must be crushed.”
On why Nigerians should trust the NDC with their votes in the 2027 general elections, Director argued that it is a credible platform for national leadership.
While highlighting the contributions and qualifications of key figures in the party, he added: “Nigerians should choose the NDC with their vote because that is the alternative platform to rescue this nation for the better.
“What do I mean by an alternative platform? We are politicians who have verifiable pedigree, not people where you don’t know where they come from or the school they attended.
“The NDC will not set the Ministry of Education on fire because you ask for their certificate.
“You have people like Peter Obi, Rabi’u Kwankwaso and Senator Seriake Dickson. These are three major people piloting the affairs now, alongside the national chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, and then some of us are also there. You can check us out—our pedigree and consistency.
“These are people who have offered something to Nigerian society. These are people who can stand by what they believe in, come rain, come shine.”
