The former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has sharply criticised the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for what he described as “unpatriotic and ignorant” remarks opposing Nigeria’s quest for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Speaking with journalists in Enugu as part of the country’s 65th Independence Anniversary celebrations, Okechukwu, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), condemned the ADC’s stance, which recently dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s push for the seat.
“This position by the ADC is not only unpatriotic and incongruous, but also the height of ignorance,” Okechukwu said.
“It is misguided to link Nigeria’s current domestic security issues to our rightful aspirations for global leadership.”
He applauded Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent address at the UN General Assembly, where the VP made a compelling case for Nigeria’s inclusion as a permanent member of the Security Council.
“Our case for a permanent seat at the Security Council is a demand for fairness, for African representation, and for reform that restores credibility to the very institution upon which the hope of multilateralism rests,” Shettima had said.
Okechukwu reiterated that the campaign for a permanent seat is not about President Tinubu or party politics but about Africa’s voice being heard at the highest levels of global governance.
He reminded Nigerians that the country had fought alongside Allied forces in World War II, an historic contribution that should entitle it to a seat at the table.
“This bid is a strategic gain for Nigeria and for Africa. It should not be reduced to partisan point-scoring,” he added.
Okechukwu also used the opportunity to call out what he described as a pattern of “serial unforced errors” by the ADC in recent months.
He pointed to the ADC’s criticism of the PDP, a party many of its leaders had previously benefited from, the party’s breach of the zoning and power rotation convention during the 2023 presidential election, which he claimed was a strategic failure, false claims that President Tinubu was plotting for a life presidency, which Okechukwu said were baseless and inflammatory as well as the ADC’s recent dismissal of Nigeria’s UN bid, which he described as the most troubling of all.
“To ridicule such a noble aspiration as Nigeria’s quest for a Security Council seat is a reckless display of ignorance and an affront to our collective national interest,” Okechukwu said.
He urged the ADC to reconsider its divisive rhetoric and instead work toward building a credible opposition coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“In the spirit of nation-building, the ADC should apologise to the PDP, whom they publicly disparaged. It’s time to move past blame games and form a strong, united opposition,” he advised.
On Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, Okechukwu highlighted the country’s progress, noting that despite challenges, Nigerians have kept the flame of unity and national identity burning.
“We have achieved significant milestones in both national development and international diplomacy. We must not let partisan politics derail our collective progress,” he said.
