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APC Slams Daily Trust Over “Bias-Laden” Editorial on Defections
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned Daily Trust newspaper over its Monday editorial titled “APC Should Learn From History,” describing it as a “sordid display of editorial bias, daftness, and journalistic recklessness.”
The ruling party said the editorial was aimed at maligning its image and misinforming the public on the recent wave of defections by state governors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka (CON), the APC said the newspaper’s position that such defections threaten Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and could lead to a one-party state was “baseless, mischievous, and lacking in logic.”
The party argued that the governors merely exercised their constitutional right to freedom of association, which allows citizens to choose or change their political affiliations without restriction.
“The Daily Trust editorial failed miserably to show how governors exercising their democratic liberty to associate freely can endanger multiparty democracy,” the statement read. “The paper could not cite any law that prohibits governors from leaving one political party for another, because such a law simply does not exist.”
The APC maintained that democracy thrives on the freedom of citizens to associate and participate in any political organization of their choice. It added that there is no legal or moral basis to limit the number or category of citizens who may join a political party.
“Like every other political party, the APC has the right to admit new members who subscribe to its ideals and constitution,” Morka said.
Describing the Daily Trust position as “bereft of objectivity and reason,” the party accused the newspaper of echoing opposition propaganda and failing to uphold the ethics of responsible journalism. It said the suggestion that APC coerced or influenced governors to defect was “laughable,” noting that governors are powerful political figures with the mandate of their people and full control over state resources.
The statement further argued that defections are a regular feature of Nigeria’s political landscape and not peculiar to the APC. It cited examples of former APC stalwarts such as Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rauf Aregbesola who have joined other parties, as well as notable PDP and Labour Party figures who have also switched affiliations. The APC said it was hypocritical for opposition figures like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi—both of whom have changed parties multiple times—to condemn defections to the ruling party.
According to the APC, the claim that its growing strength undermines democracy is “illogical and hypocritical.” The party said democracy cannot flourish by restricting fundamental freedoms such as association and participation in political activity. “One-party states are not created by wishful thinking or editorial conjecture,” Morka said, noting that Nigeria still has about 19 active political parties participating in elections.
The APC concluded by urging Daily Trust and other media organizations to practice responsible journalism and avoid misleading narratives. It reaffirmed its commitment, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to build a more prosperous, inclusive, and democratic Nigeria that guarantees freedom and opportunity for all citizens.
