The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Nigeria’s opposition parties to begin the new year with sober reflection and a renewed commitment to constructive democratic engagement, warning that persistent reliance on grievance politics and inflammatory rhetoric undermines both credibility and national progress.
In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, the party observed that while Nigerians are looking ahead with cautious optimism, the opposition appears locked in a cycle of exaggerated despair, selective outrage and repeated refusal to come to terms with electoral realities.
According to the APC, this posture has replaced introspection and policy renewal with what it described as the merchandising of grievances and manufactured persecution narratives.
The party cautioned that an opposition lacking unity, clear ideas and credible policy alternatives does not strengthen democracy. Rather, it said democracy thrives on the competition of ideas and responsible dissent, not on bitterness, obstruction or deliberate attempts to weaken institutions.
The Lagos APC stressed that a meaningful New Year resolution for the opposition must begin with honesty and accountability, including respect for democratic outcomes and an end to the practice of portraying lawful scrutiny and judicial processes as political witch-hunts. In any serious democracy, the party noted, allegations of wrongdoing are addressed through established legal channels, not through political dramatization.
The statement further urged opposition leaders to take responsibility for internal failures instead of shifting blame to institutions, neighbours or imagined enemies. Persistent political setbacks, it said, cannot be explained away by conspiracy theories or external scapegoating.
On national security, the APC called on the opposition to demonstrate moral clarity by unequivocally condemning terrorism, criminality and violence, without qualification or political calculation. Selective outrage, the party warned, erodes public trust and weakens any claim to moral leadership.
The party also criticised what it described as the opposition’s habitual projection of Nigeria as a nation on the brink of collapse, cautioning that reckless rhetoric and exaggerated narratives of despair do little to advance national cohesion or development. Leadership, it maintained, requires offering hope and solutions, not amplifying fear or pessimism.
While the opposition remains preoccupied with complaints and political commentary, the APC said the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is focused on the demanding work of governance, including economic reforms, strengthening the security architecture and laying the foundation for sustainable growth.
The Lagos APC concluded by urging the opposition to embrace a politics anchored in ideas, policy engagement and patriotism, rather than insults, propaganda and personal vendettas. Nigerians, it said, are increasingly discerning and will continue to support leadership that prioritises governance, responsibility and measurable results over political theatrics.
