APC denies role in Edo violence, accuses ADC leaders

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has fired back at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over allegations linking the party to a recent shooting incident in Edo State, describing the opposition party as its own “nemesis” and insisting its leaders should be treated as prime suspects in the attack.

In a statement issued on Thursday, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said the ADC was “doing a good job crippling itself even before it has time to stand on its feet.”

The ruling party rejected claims that it was responsible for the violence, dismissing the accusations as “utterly delusional” and “senseless.”

According to Morka, investigations into the shooting should begin with a “thorough scrutiny of the ADC, its leaders and members as prime suspects.”

He argued that the opposition party is currently “overrun by internal leadership and cult-like supremacy struggles,” pointing to what he described as widely reported violent confrontations among its factional leaders as a more likely cause of the unrest.

“The ADC cannot smear our great Party with a violent incident of its own exclusive making,” Morka said, insisting that the APC had “absolutely no role or responsibility” in the incident.

The APC described ADC leaders as “insufferable jesters” who “weaponize dark humour as a strategy to deceive, distract and disrupt in desperation for public sympathy.”

It also criticised the ADC’s use of the term “acts of terrorism,” describing such language as reckless and insensitive to the sacrifices of security forces battling insurgency and violent crime.

Morka questioned the opposition’s competence, arguing that a party unable to manage a single incident responsibly could not be trusted with Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

The APC further dismissed the ADC as a “fringe and inconsequential” political platform, stating that the party was currently focused on consolidating its recent electoral victories and supporting the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

While condemning the violence in Edo State, the ruling party called on security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. It also urged the ADC to reflect on what it described as the party’s poor performance in recent elections..