The All Progressive Congress (APC) has rejected its comparison with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by Attahiru Jega, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mr Jega, a chieftain of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), had recently described the two major political parties in the nation as a failure while presenting his as an alternative he said has the solution to the woes of the country.
But responding in a statement on Monday, the spokesman of the ruling party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said the former electoral chief was correct on what he posited about the opposition party but wrong by comparing the ruling party with former.
Mr Akpanudoedehe said the APC, which he said is strong, united, popular and focused, was cleaning the mess of the PDP while the opposition party held sway hence the ruling party should not be described as a failure.
The party which described Jega’s remarks as uncontrolled, wrong and untenable political outburst warned him to henceforth desist from disparaging it as he will achieve nothing by continuing on that path.
“While the PDP failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians as a government and opposition party, the APC is thriving, healthy and assiduously cleaning the massive mess left behind by the PDP which failed to deliver democratic dividends to the people of Nigeria after being in charge of the country for 16 years,” the mouthpiece of the APC said.
“While Professor Jega is right about the PDP, a party under which he served as the Chairman of the nation’s election management body, we reject his comparison of the APC with the PDP.
“Professor Jega got his facts wrong and mixed up in his baseless comparison of the PDP with the APC.
“While we do not intend to join issues with Professor Jega, we encourage him to engage in genuine scholarly research and come up with evidence-based conclusions on the progressive orientation of the APC.
“It is however instructive to note that having recently abandoned his academic pursuit and blindly plunged into the arena of PDP’s brand of politics, the erstwhile electoral umpire as a politician can make such political statements occasionally while trying to launch his political career in a mushroom political party.
“The APC is a strong, united, popular and focused political unit. Hence, the Professor should note the political lesson that maligning the APC would not provide him with a springboard to achieve his desires. Nigerians are wiser and remain the ultimate judges,” he added.
