We Can’t Undermine Democracy Without Evidence — Ajibola Basiru

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has urged political actors and commentators to ground criticisms of democratic institutions on verifiable facts, warning against what he described as “cacophony” driven by emotion rather than evidence.

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Basiru made this known while speaking during a media chat aired on Arise News on Tuesday.

“I would like to remind what I call cacophony of some individuals in a motion without fully facts and ad factum to support it. Today, we are a government who must respect the issues of democracy. We cannot cast our passion on issues of democracy without ad facts and ad evidence.” He said.

He stressed that democratic governance is anchored on free expression, but cautioned that such freedoms must be exercised responsibly.

“One of the hallmarks of democratic governance is the originality of ideas and ability for people to speak freely without fear of losing their lives,” he said, adding that “democracy is not just about individuals being in the corridors of power perpetually.”

Basiru also addressed ongoing political party disputes in the country, arguing that only a small number of Nigeria’s registered parties currently face internal crises.

“At the last count, we have no less than 19 registered political parties in Nigeria. The political parties that were claiming that they have problems are not up to four or five. So the majority of Nigerian political parties don’t have any problems,” he said.

He further referenced ongoing court matters involving party factions, insisting that judicial pronouncements must be respected.

“We cannot be casting aspersions on the issue of democracy just to serve individual interests,” he said, adding that where courts have issued orders, political actors must comply rather than act in violation of such rulings.

Basiru urged political stakeholders to embrace legality, reconciliation, and respect for court decisions in resolving internal party disagreements.