APC Warns of Opposition Coup: Accuses Top Politicians of Plotting to Derail Power Rotation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a scathing rebuke of key opposition political figures, cautioning Nigerians to be vigilant against what it described as divisive political tactics rooted in ethnicity and religion. According to iReporter Online, the ruling party particularly criticized politicians it claims are working to undermine the established principle of presidential power rotation between Nigeria’s North and South.

In a statement released on Monday, the APC named former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Minister Rotimi Amaechi as members of what it termed a “confused and rudderless” opposition bloc. The party accused the quartet, now associated with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), of having “greedy and insatiable appetites,” and alleged that their political ambition has become detrimental to national unity.

The APC singled out El-Rufai’s political trajectory, claiming that his fall from influence—particularly after failing to secure a ministerial role in the current administration—merits critical scrutiny. It alleged that El-Rufai has since turned to aggressive opposition tactics, fueled by personal disappointment rather than ideological conviction.

The ruling party warned that any attempt to impose Atiku Abubakar as a presidential candidate during a Southern rotation cycle is not only self-serving but also a direct threat to the fragile national consensus designed to promote inclusivity and cohesion.

The statement further accused the opposition of failing to offer any credible alternative policies to the current administration’s economic reforms. It challenged them to outline how they would reinstate fuel subsidies or reverse foreign exchange unification—policies which they themselves had previously supported during their campaigns.

El-Rufai, the statement claimed, has no moral authority to accuse the federal government of ethnic bias, given what it called his “sordid legacy” in Kaduna, including alleged marginalization of minorities, sectarian violence, and a ballooning debt profile.

The APC concluded by asserting that President Tinubu remains one of the most detribalized leaders in Nigeria’s history and urged the public to reject what it called the “predatory ambitions” of the opposition leaders named.