The African Democratic Congress has criticised the All Progressives Congress for its statement that there would be “no vacancy in Aso Rock” in 2027, describing it as arrogant and dismissive of the struggles faced by Nigerians allegedly grappling with hunger, insecurity, and unemployment.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC emphasized that the Nigerian presidency is not a birthright, but a position that must be earned and renewed based on performance.
The APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, had on Tuesday declared during a meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja that there would be “no vacancy in Aso Rock” in 2027, a comment interpreted as a declaration of President Bola Tinubu’s intention to remain in power beyond his current term.
In its reaction, the ADC cautioned the APC to avoid making statements that might reinforce fears that citizens’ votes will be disregarded.
The statement read in part, “The APC Chairman’s recent declaration of ‘no vacancy in Aso Rock’ is presumptuous and disrespectful of Nigerian people, who are tired of hunger, insecurity, joblessness, and unfulfilled promises, and therefore cannot wait to reclaim their future at the ballot box.
“We understand why APC is afraid, and would wish that they could somehow avoid that day of reckoning with the ballot box. The very fact of periodic elections means that every incumbent must renew its mandate.
“Therefore, regardless of what APC thinks, there will be a vacancy at the Presidential Villa in 2027. President Tinubu must reapply to the Nigerian people, and he must show Nigerians why they should allow him to continue on the job, despite his ruinous policies that have made life miserable for the majority.
“In 2027, APC and President Tinubu will be evaluated based on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of youth employment, security of lives, hunger and poverty, electricity supply, and justice to all.”
The opposition party maintained that no level of propaganda can alter how Nigerians perceive the APC’s performance record.
ADC continued, “The APC government and its media operatives continue to clap for themselves, and awarding themselves medals of excellence, the price of food has continued to rise beyond the reach of the majority of Nigerians, an ever-increasing number of our communities are being taken over by bandits, and our Naira remains battered and broken.
“This is why, to declare no vacancy two years before an election, is to spit in the face of every Nigerian who still believes in their democratic power. It is to say: your vote does not matter. It is to mock the pain of the mothers and fathers who cannot afford food, the graduate who cannot find a job, and the entrepreneurs whose businesses have collapsed due to no fault of theirs.
“Let it be known, the APC will have to reapply for the job of leading this country in 2027, and they do not get to mark their own papers.”
