The All Progressives Congress (APC) USA Chapter has slammed former Governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido, for undermining the democratic credentials of President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on Monday, the Chairman of the Chapter, Prof. Tai Balofin, described Lamido’s scathing remarks against the APC and President Tinubu as misguided and hypocritical.

Balofin, who was a chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), noted that the APC’s enduring vitality and President Tinubu’s longstanding democratic credentials cannot be wished away.

Lamido, a stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), recently described the APC as a “recycled carcass” of defectors, accusing Tinubu of distorting the June 12 history and misusing national institutions for partisan purposes.

Balofin countered that the APC, having clinched three consecutive presidential elections, is a dynamic force propelled by leaders of honour and integrity. “Lamido’s attempt to dismiss a party with such electoral dominance betrays his detachment from political reality,” Balofin declared.

In response to Lamido’s criticism of APC alliances, Balofin argued that coalition-building is a cornerstone of democratic politics worldwide.

He noted: “Lamido decries APC alliances as undemocratic while cheering similar moves by his PDP and others to challenge President Tinubu. This glaring double standard lays bare his political opportunism.”

He likened Lamido’s tactics to “a futile alchemy of falsehoods, spinning lies to mask his irrelevance.”

Balofin, leveraging his firsthand experience as a NADECO chieftain, robustly defended Tinubu’s democratic legacy. “As a publicist for NADECO, promoting our struggle through the US African Eye, based in New York, I had a front-row seat to the movement’s internal workings and leadership dynamics. I worked closely with Tinubu, then a formidable senator who garnered Nigeria’s highest number of votes, reflecting his unmatched grassroots support.

“His strategic vision and commitment to democracy were evident in NADECO’s operations, where he played an essential role in mobilising resources and galvanising international support against military rule. Lamido’s claim that Tinubu only emerged post-Abacha is a deliberate distortion, ignoring his pre-June 12 contributions and NADECO leadership,” Balofin asserted, accusing Lamido of engaging in “bad politics” to undermine Tinubu’s political stature and administrative fiat.

The APC chieftain further expressed resolute confidence in the party’s future. “President Tinubu and the APC will secure victory in 2027, as Nigerians continue to trust his transformative leadership,” he proclaimed, citing Tinubu’s economic reforms, such as fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification, as yielding long-term gains despite initial challenges.