APC DENOUNCES ADC CLAIMS, CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO SHOOTING INCIDENT
Abuja, FCT – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly refuted accusations made by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) regarding a shooting incident involving ADC members in Edo State. In a press statement issued on February 26, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, CON, the APC dismissed the ADC's claims as "utterly delusional" and accused the party of being its "own nemesis." The APC statement criticized the ADC for what it termed "weaponize dark humor as a strategy to deceive, distract and disrupt in desperation for public sympathy." It condemned the ADC's assertion that the APC was responsible for the shooting incident even before law enforcement investigations were concluded, calling it "senseless" and indicative of a party that "lacks focus and without regard for the due process of law." The APC declared that by its "baseless conclusion," the ADC has "declared itself to be the accuser, investigator, prosecutor, and judge in its own cause." Morka questioned the ADC's credibility, stating, "Nigerians must wonder how a party that cannot manage a single incident with proper guidance, maturity, and in line with legal and constitutional process can be trusted to manage the complexities of Nigeria’s security environment." He further labeled the ADC’s reference to "cases of acts of terrorism by the ruling APC against our party" as "reckless and unjustifiable," suggesting it reveals the ADC and its leaders as "a confused bunch, desperate to whip up sentiments and curry public sympathy at all costs." Morka added that such a "flippant accusation clearly shows that the ADC is out of touch with the prevailing realities of the country’s war on terror, and insensitive to the patriotic sacrifices of our troops in the frontlines in defence of our lives and liberty." The APC unequivocally condemned all forms of violence in the political space, stating, "Our great Party roundly condemns the reported shooting incident in Edo state. We call on police and other law enforcement authorities to carry out an expeditious investigation into the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice." However, the APC suggested that the investigation "should begin with a thorough scrutiny of the ADC, its leaders and members as prime suspects." Morka highlighted "widely reported violent clashes and confrontations among its factional leaders over control and access to certain meetings of the party" as potential areas of focus for law enforcement. He asserted, "The ADC cannot smear our great Party with a violent incident of its own exclusive making." Reiterating its non-involvement, the APC stated, "To be clear, the APC has absolutely no role or responsibility in the unfortunate shooting incident." The party emphasized its focus on recent electoral successes, noting, "We are too busy taking stock of our recent big wins in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) municipal elections, and the Rivers and Kano states constituency elections to pay any attention to a fringe and inconsequential meeting of ADC political wanderers in Edo state." The APC advised the ADC to instead "be just as busy trying to fathom its back-to-back dismal and disgraceful performance in previous and recent by-elections in the country despite its nuisance rants." The statement concluded with an expression of gratitude to Nigerians for their "solid and growing support" of the APC, specifically thanking the electorate in the FCT, Kano, and Rivers states for their "eloquent vote of confidence in our Party, and in the visionary and transformative leadership of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR." Morka affirmed that "Our Party and Mr President remain focused on building a stronger, more resilient and prosperous country for the good of all Nigerians."
