The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to present concrete proof backing his claim that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is offering N50 million to opposition parties as bribes.
Atiku made the allegation on Monday while speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria.
The event, held in Abuja, was organized by several organizations, including the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, the Centre for Democracy and Development, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, and the National Peace Committee.
During his speech, the former vice president warned that if such alleged practices continued, Nigeria’s democracy could be in serious danger.
However, APGA has strongly dismissed his claim, describing it as baseless. In a statement released on Thursday and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, the party rejected the allegation, calling on Atiku to either present evidence or withdraw his statement.
“APGA is compelled to respond to the baseless allegation made by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, claiming that the ruling APC is buying over opposition parties with N50 million,” the statement read.
The party further stated that such claims only serve to create unnecessary tension and distract from important political discussions. APGA urged Atiku to be specific by naming the political parties he claimed had received money from the APC.
“If indeed Atiku’s interest is to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, we urge him to provide specific details of the opposition parties that have collected the said N50 million. It’s time for him to put up or shut up!” the statement continued.
The party also restated its commitment to issue-based politics, saying it does not engage in or support sensational claims.
“We, therefore, challenge Atiku to mention names, provide evidence, and substantiate his claims. Anything short of this is mere political grandstanding, which will not be taken seriously by Nigerians,” the statement added.
