We won’t play dirty politics, ADC faction insists

By Abubakar Yunusa

The faction of the African Democratic Congress led by Nafiu Bala Gombe has declared that it will not engage in dirty politics or spread unverified allegations against the government in a bid to gain political advantage ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party stated this while reacting to claims that over N800bn allegedly deducted from Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations was being mobilised for political activities.

In a statement issued by the ADC Director of Media and Public Affairs, Christopher Okechukwu, the party distanced itself from the allegation credited to Bolaji Abdullahi, who reportedly spoke as the party’s National Publicity Secretary.

Okechukwu said Abdullahi’s statement did not represent the official position of the party.

“The ADC hereby disowns both Mr Abdullahi and the said statement, as neither reflects the position nor the official views of the party,” he said.

The party maintained that as an opposition platform founded on democratic values and truth, it would not mislead Nigerians with what it described as baseless propaganda.

According to the statement, the ADC would continue to criticise government policies and programmes whenever necessary, but such criticism must be based on facts and national interest.

“The party’s objective is to win elections based on the credibility, popularity, and acceptability of its candidates and programmes, and not through the making of unsubstantiated or unfounded allegations against the government or public officials for the purpose of scoring cheap political points,” Okechukwu added.

He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to principled opposition politics and responsible engagement as political activities gradually build up towards the 2027 elections.

The ADC faction also urged political actors to avoid inflammatory statements capable of heating up the polity, insisting that Nigerians deserve issue-based campaigns rather than political mudslinging.