The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a swipe at former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accusing the opposition party of owing its workers more than 12 months’ salaries.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, urged Nigerians to scrutinise the ADC’s handling of its internal affairs amid the allegation of prolonged salary arrears.
The council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, accused the ADC leadership, headed by Senator David Mark as national chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary, of neglecting the welfare of party employees.
Alake described the alleged failure to pay the workers as unacceptable, arguing that a party promising to manage the country’s affairs should demonstrate responsibility in handling its own workforce.
“A party that cannot pay its cleaners and workforce cannot be entrusted with our country’s affairs,” he declared.
The APC spokesman also accused opposition leaders of making promises to Nigerians while allegedly failing to meet their obligations to employees.
He further questioned Atiku’s record in managing his private businesses, alleging that workers at Gotel Communications and other businesses linked to the former vice-president had experienced months of unpaid salaries and benefits, with some reportedly staging protests.
Alake also revisited Aregbesola’s eight-year tenure as Osun State governor, accusing his administration of mishandling the state’s finances and failing to pay workers and pensioners regularly.
According to him, the administration introduced half-salary and quarter-salary payments for civil servants at different periods, while pensioners allegedly went unpaid for more than four years.
The APC campaign council used the allegations to challenge the ADC’s claims of offering Nigerians an alternative political platform ahead of the next general elections.
It urged workers and other voters to consider the allegations against the party’s leadership when assessing its candidates.
Alake also called on Nigerians to reject Atiku and other ADC candidates, insisting that the party’s alleged failure to meet its obligations to workers raised questions about its management of internal affairs.
The allegations against Atiku, Aregbesola and the ADC were contained in the APC campaign council’s statement. They were presented as the ruling party’s claims and criticisms.
