The Labour Party has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over the recent crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, describing the turmoil as a classic case of political karma.
The LP was reacting to the chaos that erupted during an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, where supporters of Vice President Kashim Shettima reportedly clashed with zonal party leaders. The incident has reignited internal tensions within the party, particularly in its North-East stronghold.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, said the development reflects the consequences of the ruling party’s own internal contradictions. She said the crisis within the APC, coming just days after President Tinubu mocked the opposition during his Democracy Day address, reveals a deeper irony.
“Just last week, Nigerians watched as President Tinubu stood before lawmakers at the National Assembly on Democracy Day and boasted about enjoying ‘the opposition in disarray.’
“Today, the irony is glaring—his own party is unravelling in full public view,” Usman stated.
She argued that Tinubu’s open derision of opposition parties shows a disregard for democratic values, stressing that a vibrant democracy depends not on the elimination of dissent but its protection.
“A president who celebrates the weakening of the opposition is, by extension, celebrating the weakening of democracy itself. This is not merely an unfortunate coincidence. This is karma at work,” she added.
According to Usman, the internal power struggle in Gombe—where there are allegations of efforts to sideline Vice President Shettima in his home region—exposes a dangerous trend of political intolerance and authoritarian overreach within the APC.
“In their reckless bid to enforce a one-man agenda, they’ve sacrificed due process and party unity,” she said. “The public humiliation of their own Vice President sends a chilling message about how loyalty and dignity are treated within the corridors of power.”
While insisting that the Labour Party takes no joy in the APC’s troubles, Usman said the incident should serve as a cautionary tale for Nigerians and a moment of reflection for the Tinubu administration.
“This is not a moment for gloating. It is a time for sober reflection. President Tinubu must look in the mirror. The politics of sabotage and suppression will not take Nigeria forward,” she said.
Usman reaffirmed the Labour Party’s commitment to democratic principles and called for leadership built on truth, humility, and the national interest rather than personal ambition.
“The future of this country depends not on crushing dissent, but on protecting it,” she concluded.
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