APC Focused On Politics, Neglected Governance – Atiku’s Media Adviser

Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) for what he described as its failure to prioritise governance and deliver meaningful change to Nigerians.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Ibe said the APC has “majored in minors” since taking power and accused the Tinubu administration of running a government that neglects the core responsibilities of leadership.

“The APC has majored in minors and has not done well on governance to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians,” Ibe said on Thursday, stressing that the ruling party has focused more on politics than on providing solutions to the country’s pressing challenges.

He also accused the APC-led government of eroding Nigeria’s democratic culture, saying state institutions, including financial and anti-corruption agencies, have been deployed to coerce politicians and citizens into joining the party.

According to Ibe, these actions risk turning Nigeria into a “civilian dictatorship” where political opposition is silenced, and governance suffers.

“This culture of impunity and dictatorship does not bode well for our democracy. If our democratic practices are not elevated, governance will elude us,” he warned.

Ibe’s comment comes after Atiku resigned from the PDP “with immediate effect”.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the Party.

“Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a Presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life. As a founding father of this esteemed Party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision,” he said.

“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”

Ibe noted that Atiku had long sounded the alarm about Nigeria’s drift toward one-party rule and lamented that the country was squandering the democratic gains it had made since 1999.

“Democracy is about people making choices. The minority must have their say and the majority their way. But what we see today is an APC determined to turn Nigeria into a one-party state,” he added.