Category: Politics

Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo

The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken note of yet another alarmist outburst by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who now claims that Nigeria’s democracy is facing an “existential threat.”

Coming from a political tendency that has repeatedly tested, stretched, and strained democratic institutions, this sudden affection for democracy is as ironic as it is convenient.

It is instructive that this apocalyptic narrative is being amplified from the stable of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a political contraption that appears unsure of its ideological footing, uncertain of its leadership direction, and plainly afraid of its own shadow.

Having failed to convince Nigerians at the polls, the opposition now seeks relevance by predicting the collapse of a democracy that has continued to mature despite their constant doomsday prophecies.

Nigeria’s democracy is not under threat; what is under threat is the opposition’s fading relevance. Since May 29, 2023, democratic institutions have functioned as designed.

Elections have been conducted, courts have adjudicated disputes, the legislature has exercised oversight, and citizens have continued to enjoy constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.

The opposition has spoken freely, protested freely, and litigated freely-hardly the attributes of a nation under democratic siege.

It is increasingly apparent that the ADC may implode under the weight of its own contradictions and inherent deceit. Beneath the loud rhetoric, borrowed moral outrage, and manufactured alarmism lies a fragile coalition of protagonists whose singular ambition is the Presidency-each nursing private entitlement while threatening fire and brimstone should that ambition be denied.

No political house built on sand can withstand the inevitable internal whirlwind that follows unchecked ambition without ideology. It is therefore disingenuous to blame the ruling party for the visible desperation of ADC leaders who already see the forthcoming elections as their final bow on the national stage.

Perhaps it bears reminding that winning and losing are integral and inseparable components of the democratic process. Democracy does not collapse because personal ambitions are frustrated, nor is it imperiled when Nigerians refuse to mortgage their future to political expediency.

This coalition, as presently constituted, appears to have its expiry date engraved upon it. Longevity, sadly, does not appear to be its portion. What we are witnessing is not the defence of democracy, but the last convulsion of a political arrangement held together by fear, impatience, and the fading relevance of its leading lights.

The Lagos APC affirms that Nigeria’s democracy remains resilient and firmly anchored under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The ongoing reforms, though demanding, are rooted in constitutional order, the rule of law, and democratic accountability-principles that cannot be wished away by those who lost the confidence of the Nigerian people.

We therefore advise Atiku Abubakar and his new political companions to confront reality honestly. Nigeria is not afraid. Democracy is not collapsing. It is only the opposition that is frightened by its own shadow-and by the unmistakable reality that Nigerians have moved on.

Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo
Lagos APC Spokesman

Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo (more…)

Mogaji (Hon.) Seye Oladejo

The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) states unequivocally that the ongoing APC e-registration exercise is not optional, cosmetic, or expendable.

It is a necessary political reform and a decisive statement of intent by a party determined to remain disciplined, progressive, and electorally dominant in a rapidly evolving democratic environment.

The e-registration exercise commenced yesterday and will run until the end of January, providing ample opportunity for all eligible members-old and new-to be duly captured in the party’s digital register.

Political parties that shy away from reform inevitably decay. The APC has chosen the harder but nobler path-order over chaos, structure over arbitrariness, and transparency over convenience.

The e-registration exercise is therefore a firm response to the demands of modern politics, data integrity, and credible internal democracy.

The exercise guarantees the sanctity and credibility of the party’s membership register. It decisively eliminates duplication, impersonation, and shadow membership arrangements that undermine party cohesion.

Every APC member must be known, verifiable, and properly accounted for. This is how serious parties operate.

Crucially, the e-registration provides a level playing ground for old and new members alike to have a clear, undisputed footnote in the party without fear or favour.

It dismantles gate-keeping structures and sends a strong message that no one owns the APC beyond its constitution and collective will. More importantly, it shows-without ambiguity-that the APC is deliberately and confidently accommodating the ever-growing multitude of Nigerians who are joining the progressive fold on a daily basis. Ours is not a closed shop; it is a living, expanding political movement.

Beyond administration, this exercise is the bedrock of internal democracy. Credible congresses, transparent primaries, and legitimate leadership selection are impossible without a reliable digital register.

Anyone uncomfortable with this reality must explain their preference for obscurity, manipulation, and disorder. The APC will not retreat into the politics of shadows.

The e-registration is also a strategic mobilisation weapon. It speaks directly to youths, professionals, and first-time participants who demand efficiency and clarity.

By embracing technology, the APC once again proves that it is not trapped in the past but fully aligned with the future of political organisation and engagement.

Furthermore, a data-driven membership system enhances the party’s electoral readiness and governance capacity. It strengthens grassroots coordination, sharpens campaign strategy, and ensures that the party remains in constant touch with its base. A party that truly knows its members cannot be ambushed at the polls.

At the end of the day, the outcome of this exercise will firmly affirm the APC as not only the most dominant political party in Nigeria but the party most likely to win massively at the polls, buoyed by the sheer strength of its membership and a verifiable structure across the country.

This stands in stark contrast to the fairy-tale assumptions of the opposition, whose much-advertised strength remains the stuff political dreams-not electoral reality-are made of.

We therefore urge-and indeed expect-all APC members and stakeholders to take full advantage of the e-registration window and participate promptly and responsibly.

This is a collective obligation. Indifference is not neutrality; it is a disservice to the party and the progressive ideals we claim to uphold.

The APC will continue to reform, expand, and lead. The e-registration exercise is a clear declaration that our party will not be hostage to inertia, fear, or retrogressive interests.

We are building a stronger, fairer, and future-ready political institution, and no amount of grumbling from the sidelines will derail this course.

Mogaji (Hon.) Seye Oladejo
Spokesman, Lagos State APC

Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo

The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) notes, with a mix of concern and amusement, that as Nigeria marches confidently into a new year, the opposition remains stuck in a familiar wilderness-wandering aimlessly, clutching excuses, and mistaking noise for relevance.

If New Year resolutions were mandatory, Nigeria’s opposition would be the most delinquent defaulter.

Year after year, Nigerians are forced to endure the same tired reruns: exaggerated despair, choreographed outrage, selective memory loss, and an incurable allergy to electoral reality.

Rather than introspection or renewal, the opposition has perfected the art of grievance merchandising-crying foul where none exists and seeing persecution where there is only accountability.

It is now obvious to all discerning Nigerians that a hollow opposition-devoid of ideas, unity, or credible policy alternatives-is not merely embarrassing; it is dangerous. Democracy flourishes on the contest of ideas, not on the circus of bitterness.

An opposition that survives solely on obstruction, incitement, and institutional sabotage does not strengthen democracy; it pollutes it.

A meaningful New Year resolution for the opposition should therefore start with honesty-telling Nigerians what they intend to do, not what they imagine others are doing wrong.

It should include acceptance of democratic outcomes, an end to the undignified habit of international pity-shopping, and a firm decision to stop praying for Nigeria’s collapse just to soothe wounded egos and expired ambitions.

More urgently, the opposition must resolve-perhaps for the first time-to be accountable. In any serious democracy, the rule of law is not suspended because a politician feels offended.

Criminal allegations are not acts of persecution, and courtrooms are not theatres for political melodrama. Only in the imagination of a desperate opposition does accountability automatically translate to witch-hunt.

Those who cannot answer questions about their own conduct should spare Nigerians the charade of moral outrage.

It would also help if the opposition finally learned to take the driving seat in its own affairs instead of blaming neighbours, institutions, and imaginary enemies for every self-inflicted failure.

When a household is perpetually on fire, it is dishonest to keep accusing the neighbours of arson. Political incompetence is not cured by outsourcing blame.

The opposition must also resolve to grow a spine-especially the moral spine required to condemn terrorism, criminality, and violence without footnotes, caveats, or ethnic calculations.

A political tendency that condemns terror in one breath and rationalizes it in another has forfeited any moral authority to lecture a nation bruised by bloodshed.

Furthermore, the opposition should desist from its strange obsession with cursing Nigeria through reckless rhetoric, exaggerated despair, and daily prophecies of doom. Nigeria is not a failed state in waiting, no matter how fervently some wish it so.

Those who seek leadership should be reminded of the timeless wisdom that nations are not built by professional mourners or sustained by merchants of despair.

While the opposition perfects complaint-writing and grievance-tweeting, the APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing the unglamorous work of governance-fixing a distorted economy, taking tough but necessary decisions, strengthening the security architecture, and laying the groundwork for sustainable growth.

Governance is hard work; the opposition prefers hard talk without hard thinking.

The Lagos APC therefore advises the opposition to adopt a New Year resolution rooted in ideas over insults, policy over propaganda, and patriotism over personal vendetta.

Nigeria needs critics, yes-but not critics who mistake volume for value or bitterness for vision.

Nigerians are no longer impressed by political tantrums. They know that nations are built by builders, not by bystanders who shout instructions from the sidelines.

If the opposition must reinvent itself this year, it must first abandon the politics of desperation and embrace the discipline of credible alternatives.

Until then, Nigerians will continue to entrust their future to leadership that builds rather than whines; that governs rather than grandstands; and that delivers results instead of rehearsing excuses.

Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo
Lagos APC Spokesman