Fresh cracks have emerged within the ruling All Progressives Congress after the party’s national secretary, Ajibola Basiru, warned former Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi to stop “demarketing” the party or risk disciplinary action.
Basiru cautioned Fayemi against making comments capable of damaging the image of the APC, saying members who publicly undermine the ruling party could face sanctions or be asked to leave for another political platform.
The warning followed Fayemi’s criticism of the APC during an interview on “State Affairs” hosted by Edmund Obilo, where the former governor lamented that the ruling party had drifted away from the ideals of its founding fathers and was gradually losing its ideological direction and culture of internal debate.
Reacting to the remarks, Basiru said party members were expected to protect and promote the APC rather than publicly weaken its reputation. He stressed that while constructive criticism was acceptable within the party, comments capable of portraying the APC negatively before Nigerians and opposition parties would not be tolerated.
According to him, Fayemi and other aggrieved members should utilise the party’s internal structures to express their grievances instead of making public statements that could damage the APC’s standing.
Basiru noted that political parties thrive on loyalty, discipline and collective responsibility, warning that no organisation would permit actions capable of undermining its interests. He added that the APC leadership could invoke disciplinary measures against members whose comments consistently portray the party in a bad light.
The APC national secretary also suggested that individuals who no longer believed in the direction or ideals of the ruling party were free to join another political platform that aligned with their convictions.
His comments come amid growing concerns over internal disagreements within the APC ahead of future political realignments and elections. In recent months, several stakeholders and founding members of the party have openly expressed concerns over issues relating to internal democracy, consensus politics and the party’s ideological identity.
During the interview that triggered the controversy, Fayemi argued that the APC was gradually abandoning the progressive principles upon which it was founded. The former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum said the party was increasingly becoming intolerant of dissenting opinions and intellectual engagement.
Fayemi also warned that the growing culture of consensus arrangements and the absence of robust internal debates could push the APC toward internal implosion if urgent reforms were not introduced.
The latest exchange highlights widening tensions within the ruling party as influential members continue to debate the future direction of the APC and the management of internal disagreements ahead of the next electoral cycle.
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