A political scientist, Obafemi George, has dismissed allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is orchestrating the crisis within opposition parties, insisting there is no factual evidence to support such claims.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Thursday, George described the allegations as “false,” warning against what he called a growing trend of misinformation driven by social media.
“I think that allegation is false, and I’ll tell you why,” he said. “There’s an unfolding trend in our political culture where people no longer present verifiable facts. Someone throws out a lie, it gets amplified on social media, and within hours it spreads without scrutiny.”
George argued that, contrary to the claims, the opposition parties themselves have failed to meet expectations, noting that no concrete evidence has been presented to link the APC to internal crises within parties such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“Let’s go to the facts of the matter. Nobody has come out to give one single piece of evidence to show that APC has influenced what is happening within the ADC,” he stated.
Drawing historical comparisons, George recalled past instances where ruling parties were accused of undermining opposition forces, stressing that such allegations were backed by verifiable evidence at the time.
“In 2003, when opposition governors in the South-West were removed, there were documented facts. In 2007, even President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua admitted the process that brought him to power was faulty. In 2014, during the Ekiti election, there were video and audio recordings showing electoral compromise. Those were evidence-based allegations,” he said.
On the internal crisis within the ADC, George pointed to what he described as constitutional violations within the party, particularly regarding leadership tenure.
“The ADC constitution clearly states that party officials are to serve a four-year term, renewable once. Yet Ralph Nwosu remained chairman from 2005 to 2025—that’s 20 years. By their own constitution, anything beyond 2013 was illegal,” he argued.
He maintained that opposition parties are responsible for their own instability, citing internal decisions and structural weaknesses as key factors.
“All other parties crumbled because of their internal processes. You cannot blame the APC for that,” he said.
Addressing broader concerns about Nigeria drifting toward a one-party state, George rejected the notion, insisting that the current political landscape is a result of opposition failures rather than ruling party dominance.
“It is not true that Nigeria is becoming a one-party state. These issues didn’t start today,” he said, referencing internal disputes within parties dating back to before the 2023 general elections.
George also defended recent electoral reforms, particularly the move away from indirect primaries, arguing that the changes have improved the credibility of Nigeria’s political process.
“That provision has removed the era where the richest aspirant simply buys delegates. It has strengthened the system,” he noted.
On the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), George said the electoral body has acted within its mandate to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
“INEC is constitutionally empowered to conduct elections and take actions that safeguard the system. What they have done is to prevent a repeat of situations like Zamfara in 2019, where court rulings overturned election results after the fact,” he explained.
While acknowledging criticisms about perception and political influence, George insisted that political arguments must remain grounded in verifiable evidence.
“When you are talking politics, you cannot build a mountain on perception. It has to be evidence-based. That is why it is called political science—it is a science, not an art,” he said.
He concluded that opposition parties must take responsibility for their internal challenges rather than attributing them to external interference.
Boluwatife Enome
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