Dare Babalola
Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity Communication to President Bola Tinubu has criticised the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its forum of national legislators, describing their recent claims against his principal as baseless and conspiratorial.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Dare responded to comments attributed to Nnenna Elendu Ukeje and the ADC legislators’ forum, accusing the opposition of attempting to discredit the administration ahead of the election season.
“Even before the official commencement of the election season and before the polls open, the ‘opposition’, a hurriedly stitched together contraption in search of a launch pad are screaming blue murder,” Dare wrote.
“The script is familiar: attack and blackmail the President, discredit and second guess the electoral process and hold press briefings to flaunt unsubstantiated allegations and lies against the administration.”
Dare argued that the ADC’s recent press conference lacked substance and was aimed at creating unnecessary public outrage.
“What Nigerians just witnessed from the ADC motley crowd is not a principled defence of democracy, but a calculated attempt to weaponise rhetoric, manufacture outrage, and distract from internal disarray within a political party struggling to maintain coherence,” he said.
The presidential aide, however, noted that the opposition had acknowledged Tinubu’s democratic credentials at the outset of its briefing, describing that portion as accurate.
“They painstakingly chronicled the democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. On that point, they were correct,” Dare stated.
He criticised what he described as a contradiction in the ADC’s position, accusing the party of attempting to portray the president as a threat to democracy without evidence.
“You cannot spend the first half of a press conference affirming a man’s lifelong commitment to democracy, and the second half alleging—without proof—that he has abandoned it. It simply does not hold,” he added.
Addressing claims of judicial interference, Dare dismissed the allegations as speculative and warned against undermining public institutions.
“Nigeria’s judiciary remains constitutionally independent, and no amount of conjecture can substitute for evidence,” he said.
“Attempting to cast doubt on the integrity of the courts based on political disagreements is a dangerous path.”
Dare also rejected attempts to link the Presidency to internal disputes within the ADC, insisting that such issues should not be externalised.
“Internal disputes within the ADC cannot be outsourced to the Presidency, or indeed the APC,” he stated.
He further accused the opposition coalition of lacking ideological cohesion, describing it as a group driven by personal ambition rather than shared principles. He referenced remarks by Atiku Abubakar to highlight what he called contradictions within the alliance.
“What then binds them together? Certainly not belief—only expediency,” Dare said.
Reaffirming the administration’s stance, the presidential aide maintained that Tinubu remains committed to democratic ideals and the rule of law.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains a committed democrat. His record reflects a consistent respect for the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and the integrity of democratic institutions,” he said.
He urged the ADC to focus on internal reforms rather than public accusations.
“We urge the ADC to redirect its energy inward: resolve its leadership disputes, strengthen its internal processes, and engage Nigerians with substance rather than speculation,” Dare added.
“Nigerians deserve a political discourse grounded in facts, not fiction; in reality, not rhetoric.”
Dare concluded his statement with a rhetorical question directed at the opposition.
“What is required is not noise—but leadership. What’s that noise?”
