ADC Demands Court Evidence as Campaign Row Over Atiku Intensifies

The African Democratic Congress campaign team has demanded that the ruling All Progressives Congress provide court convictions against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, pushing back against what it calls baseless allegations of unfitness for office. APC spokesman Felix Morka had declared Atiku unfit for the presidency based on his past record, prompting the ADC's response through its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Friday.

Shaibu accused Morka of conducting what he termed a trial through insult rather than presenting factual legal grounds. The ADC official stressed that rumour and insinuation cannot substitute for actual court judgments, and that the APC's attacks do not address the everyday concerns of Nigerians struggling with rising costs of food, fuel, transport, and electricity.

The campaign council also defended Atiku's public service record on matters involving foreign reserves, fuel subsidy policy, and the Mambilla power project arbitration. In its counterattack, the ADC drew attention to President Bola Tinubu's own legal history in the United States, specifically a forfeiture case involving narcotics allegations.

Shaibu characterised Tinubu's court records as resembling material from a criminal drama film, using this reference to question the APC's moral standing to attack other candidates' backgrounds. The exchange reflects the intensifying political contest between the two parties as campaigns continue.

The ADC's strategy of demanding documentary proof while raising questions about the incumbent administration's past demonstrates the adversarial nature of current political discourse in Nigeria, with both sides using accusations and counterclaims as central campaign tactics.