PDP Crisis Not Our Making, Says APC Chieftain Farouk Aliyu

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Farouk Aliyu, has said the internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not the making of the APC, adding that any self-inflicted damage within the opposition party only benefits the ruling party.

Aliyu made the remarks during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television, monitored by newsmen on Wednesday.

He dismissed claims that the APC or President Bola Tinubu was plotting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, stressing that neither the president nor the leadership of the ruling party harbours such intentions.

“No, we in the APC don’t have plans to make this country a one-party state. Not the president, not the party, not the leadership or leaders of the APC,” he said.

Aliyu argued that the crisis within the PDP stemmed from its own internal decisions, particularly during the party’s presidential primary ahead of the 2023 general election.

He recalled that disagreements over zoning and the choice of presidential and vice-presidential candidates deepened divisions within the opposition party.

“What happened in the PDP was clear to Nigerians. During their convention ahead of the election, there were arguments over whether the ticket should go to the North or the South. Eventually, Atiku Abubakar got the ticket and set up a committee to select a running mate.

“Somewhere along the line, they agreed on Nyesom Wike, but later changed their decision. That was when Wike became aggrieved. That is their making, not the making of APC,” he said.

Aliyu maintained that while the PDP’s internal problems may work to the advantage of the APC, the ruling party bears no responsibility for the opposition’s troubles.

“If the PDP decides to destroy its party on its own, it is to APC’s advantage. However, the issues in the PDP are not the making of the APC,” he added.