The Democratic Front (TDF) has dismissed the statement credited to the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) criticising the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Malam Danjuma Muhammad, the Chairman of TDF, in a statement on Monday, stated that CUPP was in no position to dabble into the internal affairs of the ruling party.
“We condemn, in the strongest terms, the unwarranted criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s endorsement by Governors elected on the platform of the ruling APC by the defunct Coalition of United Political Party (CUPP).
“Like an attention-seeking meddlesome interloper, the group described the endorsement of President Tinubu by his party members as their flag bearer in the 2027 presidential election as a desperate bid for power.
“While we are not opposed to CUPP’s right to self-expression as provided by the Nigerian constitution, we expect the leadership of the political interest group, to show respect for APC’s right to conduct its internal affairs within the limit of its constitution,” said TDF.
The group said it recalled that in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2019, the then CUPP and its leadership threw its support behind the candidature of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“And of course, it backed Labour Party’s Peter Obi in 2023, especially as its National Secretary, Peter Amen, even contested for a seat in the House of Representatives in Kogi State on LP’s platform.
“So, it is clear that the current CUPP leadership has always been opposing the ruling party.
“Furthermore, the CUPP should be reminded that APC has a precedence of picking an incumbent president as its presidential flag bearer through the consensus of members of the Party,” the group stated.
It said CUPP’s stance on APC’s internal affairs of the APC amounted to overstepping its boundaries as well as a flagrant disregard for the constitutional rights of others.
“We, therefore, urge Nigerians to see the CUPP for what it is: a partisan opposition to the ruling APC. It is simply a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) concocted with a narrow mindset to achieve personal political aggrandisement,” said TDF.
It added that there was nothing wrong with President Tinubu’s endorsement at the recent APC summit because it was the party’s internal affairs. (NAN)
