The ruling All Progressives Congress on Wednesday faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his call for the merger of opposition political parties, saying the Peoples Democratic Party should focus on resolving its internal party crisis.

The call for opposition to merge against the APC was made by the PDP presidential candidate when he hosted the national executive committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Abuja.

While expressing concern that Nigeria was sliding into a one-party state, the former vice president noted that a formidable coalition would address the perceived decline in democratic values.

Reacting via Wednesday’s statement titled ‘Atiku, APC is strengthening democracy, not stifling it’, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, mocked the former VP, saying he was still struggling to come to terms with reality after his loss at the presidential poll.

He said, “It is pitiful that a statesman of Atiku’s standing would so easily conflate the wide acceptance of our great party among Nigerians with his irrational fear of one-party dictatorship. Perhaps, the Turakin Adamawa needs to be reminded that Nigerians are highly percipient and can differentiate between political deviance of the PDP and demonstrable commitment of the APC to deepening democracy and fostering our common good.

“Before its epic defeat in 2015, the PDP proclaimed and flaunted its plan to rule Nigeria for a minimum of 60 years. At that time, Atiku was willfully blind to fear of a PDP one-party dictatorship but now appears to be under the influence of a distorted vision inflicted by the debilitating serial trouncing of his party at the polls.

“The PDP’s brigandage, impunity and profligacy of 16 years remain unforgettable. In its brief period at the helm, the APC has implemented far-reaching reform of the Electoral Act and introduced technological innovations, including the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System and the INEC Results Viewing Portal all aimed at improving electoral transparency and deepening our democracy.”

Morka stated that Atiku and his party should concentrate on repairing the damaged reputation of the PDP and address its lingering internal crisis.

The APC spokesman made reference the controversy that trailed the candidacy of Senator Samuel Anyawu as the PDP candidate at the just-concluded Imo governorship while still holding office as the party national secretary.

“The PDP’s flagrant disregard for due process, another of its bane, is the reason the party fielded its National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyawu, as governorship candidate in Imo State in the just-concluded off-season gubernatorial election. As candidate, Sen. Anyanwu failed to resign his position as National Secretary as required by law. Is it any wonder that the Imo electorate rejected Anyanwu, who clearly did not have confidence in his own candidacy to quit his position as a party officer? Anyanwu’s greedy disposition has reportedly sparked a fresh round of leadership imbroglio at the “Wadata House of Commotion.”

“We urge Atiku to concentrate on repairing his damaged political psyche and attempt to revive his comatose PDP and leave APC out of their combined predicament. However, we welcome the former Vice President’s charge to opposition political parties to rally together to engage in opposition politics.

“On our part, President Bola Tinubu will continue, undisturbed, to justify his electoral promises in the Renewed Hope Agenda as he builds a safer, stronger and economically vibrant country for the benefit of all. That’s what Nigerians care about, that’s what they deserve,” the statement added.