A former Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (PDP) is not a party rooted in the people but one driven largely by those in power.
Naijaonpoint reports that Baba-Ahmed stated this on Tuesday during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television.
The former presidential aide dismissed the notion that the APC’s control of many states translates to nationwide popular acceptance, arguing that political dominance should not be confused with grassroots support.
“I’m afraid my thinking is quite different. People tend to think that because the APC has almost all the states, it has the country. No, it doesn’t,” he said.
He noted that many of the party’s current leaders only joined through defection rather than organic growth.
“Governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives have all defected from their original party into the APC,” Baba-Ahmed added.
Baba-Ahmed said that despite its dominance, the APC remains disconnected from ordinary Nigerians, raising questions about the basis of its political strength.
“The APC is the party that is dominant in the country, yet it is very far away from the people. You have to ask yourself, ‘what’s the phenomenon behind this?’” he said.
He pointed out that the party currently controls more than 20 states across the federation.
Drawing a distinction between political control and popular legitimacy, Baba-Ahmed concluded that the APC’s structure favours incumbents rather than citizens.
“The APC is a party of the office holder; it’s not necessarily the party of the people. There’s a difference between the two,” he said.