By Suleiman Ibrahim.
Ajibola Basiru, the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has likened the ruling party’s aggressive membership drive to the door-to-door evangelism practiced by Jehovah’s Witnesses. This analogy comes as the APC faces accusations of pushing Nigeria towards a one-party state, amidst a surge of defections from opposition parties.
Basiru, a former senator for Osun central, made the comments during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday, where he also dismissed the opposition as “unserious and inactive.”
“The country is not our making. The politics of the country is not our making,” Basiru stated, addressing concerns about the APC’s growing dominance. “I think the problem with Nigeria is that we don’t seem to have people who are very serious in opposition and who take their job seriously.”
His comparison to Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian group known for their proactive outreach, highlights the APC’s strategy of actively seeking and recruiting new members. This approach, he suggested, is a key factor in the party’s expanding influence.
The APC’s recent gains have fueled speculation about the state of Nigerian democracy, with critics alleging that the ruling party is systematically weakening the opposition. However, Basiru’s remarks suggest the APC views its actions as simply effective political engagement. The statement positions the party as actively seeking membership, and the opposition as being passive.
APC Like Jehovah’s Witnesses: We Recruit Door-to-Door, Claims Party Secretary
