The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied allegations made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu paid N50 million to certain opposition members to destabilize the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary, speaking on Arise TV’s News Night on Tuesday, dismissed the claims as baseless and unsubstantiated.
“That is utterly bogus. It’s not enough to make headline allegations without providing any shred of evidence to substantiate those allegations. All the claims made by the former vice president on this matter are just mere conjectures. He is making excuses for the failure of his party to get its act together,” Morka stated.
Morka further argued that the current crisis within the PDP was self-inflicted and not influenced by the APC in any way.
“The PDP is imploding. That is clear to everyone. It’s imploding, not because of APC or what APC is doing or has done. As a matter of fact, APC is doing nothing. We are busy minding our business and worrying about our own matters, sorting out our own internal issues, building cohesion, and preparing for whatever contest that may come.”
He emphasized that the ruling party is focused on governance and internal party affairs rather than engaging in opposition party politics.
APC demands evidence from Atiku
When asked directly about Atiku Abubakar’s allegations that President Tinubu paid N50 million to some PDP members, Morka challenged the former vice president to provide concrete evidence to support his claims.
“Of course, it’s not true. If Alhaji Abubakar had evidence that any money was paid to any citizen in the opposition—especially if those persons who were paid are of the PDP stock—I would expect Alhaji Abubakar to blame his own party officials who received those payments. And then, by naming them, we can begin to unravel who paid them and why they were paid,” he said.
He reiterated that neither President Tinubu nor the APC had any involvement in financially influencing opposition members.
“I can tell you categorically that the President is extremely busy, occupied governing Nigeria pursuant to his mandate, and does not have the time to focus on the pettiness that Alhaji Abubakar is suggesting. Nobody in my party is paying any money, whether N50 million or any sum of money, to anybody in the opposition. Why would we pay them?”
However, the APC maintains that it has no role in the PDP’s internal struggles and is focused on governance and strengthening its own political base.
Back story
While speaking on Monday in Abuja at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), and the National Peace Committee, (NPC), the former vice president alleged that Tinubu of gifting leaders of opposition N50m each in bribe to whittle down anti-government actions.
“I want to say it here publicly. I met with a political party leadership in the present opposition, and they told me flatly that this government gives them N50 million each.
“Where do we go from here? This means that if we are not careful, we are talking to some of you here, but you are recipients of the N50 million from the APC government,” the PDP chieftain noted.
