The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Daily Trust newspaper of bias and misinformation over its Monday editorial titled “APC Should Learn From History,” describing it as “reckless, false, and malicious.”
In a statement signed by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, CON, the ruling party said the editorial misrepresented the recent wave of defections by state governors to the APC and wrongly suggested that the development threatened Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
Morka said the governors’ actions were in line with their constitutional right to freedom of association, adding that Daily Trust failed to cite any law barring elected officials from changing political parties.
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“The paper did not explain how the exercise of a constitutional right amounts to the erosion of multi-party democracy or the creation of a one-party state,” the statement read. “There is no law or democratic norm that prohibits governors or citizens from joining any political party of their choice.”
The APC maintained that it reserves the right to admit new members, including elected officials, noting that defections were not unique to the party. It cited several examples of prominent politicians who had defected from both the APC and opposition parties.
“The defections from opposition parties to our party deliver a damning indictment of their failed leadership and dysfunction,” Morka said, accusing Daily Trust of double standards for not condemning defections away from the APC in the same manner.
He described the newspaper’s claims of a drift toward one-party rule as “false and irresponsible,” insisting that Nigeria’s democracy remains vibrant with about 19 active political parties.
While acknowledging that media outlets are entitled to editorial opinions, Morka said such opinions must be grounded in truth and guided by professional ethics.
“Our party and the administration of President Bola Tinubu remain focused on implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda to improve the quality of life of Nigerians,” he added.
