The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has dismissed the recent opposition summit held in Ibadan as a mere gathering of individuals rather than a legitimate meeting of political parties.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Basiru described the event as a “so-called Ibadan summit,” insisting it lacked the formal backing required to qualify as an official convergence of political parties.
According to him, for any political party to participate in such a meeting, there must be prior authorisation from its National Working Committee (NWC) or National Executive Committee (NEC).
“For parties to meet, there must be prior authorisation from their NWC or NEC. Without that, it is simply a gathering of individuals,” he said.
Basiru further argued that claims by organisers that ten political parties convened to form a united front against the ruling APC were contradictory and undermined their earlier position.
“If they now claim that ten political parties met to gang up against one party, it contradicts their earlier narrative. It shows that the political space remains open, but they lack the strength to compete individually,” he added.
The Ibadan summit had reportedly brought together opposition figures to deliberate on strategies ahead of future elections, including possible alliances. However, the APC has maintained that the meeting does not pose any significant threat to its political dominance.
