Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as “a party of forgers and riggers,” accusing it of eroding democratic standards in Nigeria.
Atiku made the remarks in Minna after a closed-door meeting with former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.), at his residence. The meeting lasted nearly two hours, with journalists and supporters waiting outside the compound.
Reacting to the tax reforms proposed and gazetted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Atiku said Nigerians should not be surprised by the actions of the ruling party.
“What do you expect? APC generally is a party of forgers and riggers. They forge everything, certificates, age limits, they forge everything. That is the hallmark of APC,” he said.
He also faulted the outcome of the Senate’s emergency plenary on electoral reforms, particularly the decision on election result transmission. According to him, the resolution fell short of public expectations.
“First and foremost, it is below the expectation of Nigerians, because Nigerians were expecting real-time transmission of election results at the various levels,” he stated. “What we got instead is a mixture of electronic and manual transmission, which is going to cause more confusion and chaos than a single-tier electronic system.”
Atiku called on political parties to unite in demanding credible electoral reforms, insisting the issue must not be allowed to rest.
On the 2027 presidential election, he said contesting is not under consideration, noting that he is now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He added that the party is focused on strengthening its structures nationwide and emphasized that, unlike the PDP, the ADC constitution does not formally entrench zoning.
Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde also met privately with Babangida but declined to address the media.
