By Ayomide Otitoju
The Presidency has criticised the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the party as lacking “coherence and balance” in the aftermath of its recent national convention.
The response, issued on Saturday by Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, followed comments by the ADC’s National Legislators Serving and Former Forum. The group had criticised the President over remarks characterising the party’s convention as “noise and a street convention.”
The ADC convention was held at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja amid reports of a last-minute attempt to disrupt the gathering. The forum, led by former lawmaker Nnenna Ukeje, accused the administration of shrinking democratic space and questioned what it described as inconsistencies in the President’s commitment to democratic principles.
In a statement shared via X, Dare dismissed the claims, alleging that the ADC was grappling with internal disorganisation. He described the party’s position as lacking substance and accused it of attempting to discredit the administration through unsubstantiated allegations.
Dare argued that the ADC’s critique was contradictory, noting that the group had acknowledged President Tinubu’s historical role in strengthening opposition politics and democratic governance before accusing him of undermining those same values.
He further stated that the President’s earlier remarks were general in nature and did not specifically reference the ADC, suggesting that the party’s reaction reflected internal sensitivities.
The presidential aide also rejected allegations of judicial interference, maintaining that Nigeria’s judiciary remains constitutionally independent and warning against attempts to undermine public confidence in state institutions through what he described as speculative claims.
