By Jude Opara
The Acting National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Hon. Bala Yunusa Mohammed has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of instigating the crises that have rocked most of the opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Hon. Mohammed who spoke with newsmen at the weekend said it was not debatable that since after the 2023 elections where some opposition parties showed significant strength, they have been enmeshed in one crisis or the other.
He further challenged the APC to conduct a free and fair election, insisting that the strength of a ruling party should be in delivering the dividends of democracy and conducting free and fair elections, and not to stifle the opposition and manipulating the electoral process.
According to him, the APC thrives in imposition, even as he alleged that the ongoing primary elections in the party is full of manipulation and imposition of candidates.
“And if they do that, that’s when they will know that Nigerians know what they are doing. And they will elect the people they want, not the people they imposed on them. Like whatever you see happening in the ruling party is imposition.
“They are imposing people on them. They didn’t allow people to choose their leaders. So, we are watching, we are looking at what they are doing.
“And based on the Electoral Act that was just signed, most of the aspirants, they cannot move from one party to another party because if you are not on the party register of A, you will not become and move to party B to contest. Well, you can see how they play the system. So, it’s not healthy for you to deny Nigerians of their own right because all Nigerians have the right to vote and be voted for.
Mohammed further argued that the APC is also exhibiting desperation by hiding under the Electoral Act which has sort of tied politicians to allegedly impose candidates who are not the popular choices of the party members.
“It’s desperation on the part of the APC because you know that what they are doing now, if that law is not there, I’m telling you 80% of the people that contested for this very primary will leave their party and join other political parties”.
The opposition leader further stated that the APC will be defeated in 2027 because of the high cost of living, which he noted is fast going beyond the reach of most Nigerians as well as the rising cases of insecurity.
“Let’s look at Nigeria in the last three years! Well, all of us are living in Nigeria and we are seeing how the economy is biting on the grassroots and the downtrodden Nigerians. Everybody is suffering. And if anybody is telling you that Nigeria is well, it’s just joking.
“Nigeria is not well. And we need people that will come and fix Nigeria. For the past three years, nothing is working in Nigeria. Is it employment? Is it health sector? Is it security? The insecurity we are facing, kidnapping here and there from Sokoto to Port Harcourt. Along the highway, it’s kidnapping. Daylight killings in Nigeria and high cost of living. Now, petrol, you can’t fill your own car tank. It’s 1,375 Naira per litre. So, you can see all these things.
“These are things that you cannot even contemplate. There are uncountable issues that are facing Nigerians. And even coupled with the tax laws, that some of them have not even implemented it. They have just partially implemented one or two.
“Once they come in 2027, they will implement 100% of the tax law. And that is where Nigeria will know that there is a problem. By the grace of God, we will not allow that to happen”, he concluded.
