The APC Presidential Campaign Council on Monday urged Nigerians to reject the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its candidates in the next general elections, alleging that the opposition party has failed to pay its staff for more than 12 months.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council said the ADC National Working Committee, led by Senator David Mark as chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as secretary, had “refused and neglected” to pay party staff for over a year.
Alake described the alleged failure as “wicked and reprehensible,” saying it showed what he called the “emptiness and insincerity” of those presenting themselves as new saviours. He argued that a party that cannot pay its cleaners and workforce cannot be entrusted with the country’s affairs.
“A party that aspires to govern Nigeria and which cannot be trusted with something as basic as the management of its own affairs and the welfare of its workforce should be rejected by Nigerians,” the statement said.
The APC campaign council also alleged that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, whom it described as the ADC’s leader and presidential candidate, has a reputation for owing employees, citing Gotel Communication and other businesses. It further accused Aregbesola of an abysmal record on workers’ salaries and pensions in Osun State, alleging that his administration introduced quarter-salary and sometimes half-salary payments and abandoned pensioners for more than four years.
The statement said the ADC’s alleged failure to pay workers was evidence that the party and its candidates do not mean well for Nigeria. It urged Nigerians and working people to “reject ADC, reject Atiku Abubakar and reject all ADC candidates in the next general elections.”
The statement did not include documentary evidence for the allegations and did not indicate whether the ADC, Atiku Abubakar or Aregbesola had responded.