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El Ameen Ibrahim

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the editorial published by Daily Trust on Monday, October 20, 2025, titled “APC Should Learn From History”, describing it as an unbalanced and misleading commentary intended to discredit the ruling party.

In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC said the editorial accused the party of promoting “a dangerous trend towards the erosion of multi-party democracy and a descent into a despicable one-party state” following the recent defection of some state governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

The party, however, faulted the paper’s argument, saying it failed to demonstrate how governors exercising their constitutional right to freedom of association amounted to a threat to multiparty democracy or an attempt to impose a one-party state.

“The paper postulated that citizens’ right to associate with any political organisation must be exercised ‘within the bounds of the law’ but failed to identify the law that prohibits governors from quitting the platform on which they were elected and joining another party of their choice. The paper didn’t cite it because such law does not exist,” Morka said.

According to him, the Constitution guarantees every citizen — including governors — the right to freely associate with any political group of their choosing. He argued that if the framers of the Constitution intended otherwise, it would have been expressly stated in the law, rather than left to what he described as the newspaper’s “speculative interpretation.”

Morka stated that the APC, like any political party in a democracy, has the legitimate right to admit new members who willingly subscribe to its ideals. “There is no rule of law that prohibits a political party from receiving new members who subscribe to its membership. 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,” he said.

He further noted that Daily Trust failed to provide evidence of any law that restricts the number of governors or elected officials who may join a particular party.

Responding to the claim that the APC was trying to establish a one-party state, Morka said the allegation was without basis. “How do you even coerce or cajole governors to dump their party and join another? Governors occupy some of the highest political offices in the country. They are the chief executives of their states and bear the mandate of their people to govern. They have authority and control over the resources of their states,” he stated.

He added that Daily Trust offered no proof of the alleged influence the APC exerted to convince governors to defect.

According to him, defections from opposition parties to the APC are a reflection of the leadership crisis and lack of internal democracy within those parties. He explained that such movements are neither novel nor exclusive to any single party.

“Prominent former APC members like Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Abubakar Malami, John Oyegun, Rauf Aregbesola, Solomon Dalong, and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd.) have joined other parties like ADC. Similarly, notable PDP members, including Atiku Abubakar, retired Capt. Tunji Shelle, Muritala Ashorobi, Dr. Abimbola Ogunkelu, and Sir Rowland Owie, have defected to ADC,” Morka said.

He noted that leading opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have also moved across party lines several times, yet are often the first to criticise others who defect to the APC.

Morka maintained that it was inconsistent for Daily Trust and some opposition voices to portray defections to the APC as harmful to democracy while describing defections to other parties as evidence of democratic vibrancy.

“From the paper’s perspective, defections to the APC are a threat to democracy, but defections from APC to opposition parties advance democracy. That double standard is glaring and unacceptable,” he said.

The APC spokesman stressed that democracy thrives on fundamental freedoms, including the right to association. “Democracy is a system of freedoms. You cannot advance democracy by abrogating basic freedoms that are intrinsic to it,” he said.

He pointed out that Nigeria currently has about 19 registered and active political parties, adding that fears of a one-party state are misplaced and unrealistic. “One-party states are not created by anyone’s wishful thinking. Instituting such a system would require extensive constitutional and legislative amendments, which are neither desirable nor attainable,” Morka explained.

He concluded by calling on Daily Trust and other media organisations to exercise greater responsibility in their editorial positions. “While its editors have the freedom to form and express opinions, they have a corresponding duty to uphold time-tested values of responsible journalism in the public interest,” he said.

Morka reaffirmed that the APC and the administration of President Bola Tinubu remain committed to implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at improving citizens’ welfare and building a more prosperous nation.