ABUJA – The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has criticised the African Democratic Congress over alleged failure to pay its staff for more than 12 months, urging Nigerians to reject the party and its candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The APC campaign council accused the ADC National Working Committee, led by Senator David Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, of neglecting the welfare of party workers despite its promises to Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Monday, the council described the alleged non-payment of salaries as unacceptable, arguing that a party unable to meet its obligations to its workforce should not be entrusted with the responsibility of governing the country.
The statement, signed by the council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, said the development exposed what it described as the insincerity of ADC leaders presenting themselves as an alternative to the ruling APC.
“It is unconscionable that a political party that has made many grandiose promises to hoodwink Nigerians owes its workers for more than 12 months,” the council said.
It added that keeping workers in employment without paying their salaries was unjust, particularly for those who depended on their earnings to meet their daily needs.
The APC campaign council also renewed its criticism of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, whom it described as the ADC’s presidential candidate, alleging that his business interests had similarly faced complaints over unpaid staff salaries.
According to the statement, employees of Gotel Communication and other businesses associated with Atiku had reportedly experienced months of salary arrears and staged protests over unpaid wages and other benefits.
The council further criticised Aregbesola’s record as governor of Osun State, alleging that his administration’s handling of the state’s finances resulted in irregular salary payments to workers and prolonged delays in pension payments.
It claimed that the administration introduced quarter-salary and half-salary arrangements at different times, while pensioners allegedly endured years without receiving their entitlements.
The APC argued that the alleged failure of ADC leaders to prioritise workers’ welfare reflected a broader leadership problem, insisting that Nigerians should scrutinise the party’s record before supporting its candidates.
“We are therefore not surprised that ADC, harbouring birds of the same feather, cannot pay its workers’ salaries,” the statement said.
The council urged Nigerian voters, particularly workers, to reject the ADC and its candidates in the forthcoming elections, maintaining that the party could not be trusted to manage the country’s affairs if it failed to meet its obligations to its own employees.
It also accused ADC leaders of pursuing political power for personal interests rather than the welfare of Nigerians.