The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have clashed over the handling of tributes to late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, with the ADC accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of exploiting Buhari’s death for political gain.
In a statement on Friday, the ADC described the recent tributes by the Federal Government as “hypocritical, opportunistic and carefully stage-managed,” sparking outrage from the APC, which countered that the ADC’s allegations were insensitive and unbefitting.
The ADC, through its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, faulted the Federal Executive Council’s tribute to Buhari, describing it as a calculated political move rather than a sincere act of mourning.
“The choreographed Federal Executive Council tribute, complete with a publicised appearance by our late President’s grieving son, was not a demonstration of genuine respect,” Abdullahi stated.
According to him, the tribute was a “calculated public relations stunt by an unpopular government” aimed at distracting Nigerians from the Tinubu administration’s “deepening failures” and rewriting history to its advantage.
“This is hypocritical and in bad taste,” the statement added.
The ADC further alleged that the inclusion of Buhari’s son, Yusuf, at the FEC session was an exploitation of a grieving family for political optics.
Abdullahi said, “Yusuf Buhari, a private citizen still mourning the loss of his father, should never have been used as a prop in a political show.
“Nigerians must ask: what kind of government uses the private pain of a bereaved family to varnish its own public image?”
The opposition party also accused the Tinubu administration of previously distancing itself from Buhari’s policies, blaming the former President for unpopular decisions such as the removal of fuel subsidies and economic hardship, only to now turn around and honour him for political gain.
“For months, the official stance of the Tinubu Presidency was that Nigeria’s hardship was Buhari’s fault… But now that it suits their political agenda, they seek to recast themselves as defenders of the late President’s legacy,” Abdullahi added.
In a swift response, the APC condemned the ADC’s remarks, describing them as disrespectful and unnecessary at a time of national mourning.
Speaking with Punch, the APC’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Chidi Duru, called on political actors to show restraint and empathy when dealing with sensitive issues such as the passing of a national figure.
Duru said, “I will like to think there are things that are off-limit, more importantly when it has to do with the passing on of a loved one.
“Whatever we think of him, as diverse as it may be, the former President has passed on. The reality is that there are those who will miss him—if not the whole country, more importantly his family.”
He warned the ADC against “playing politics with the dead” and urged political parties to allow the Buhari family the space to grieve without turning their loss into a media spectacle.
Duru Cautioned, “It is not everything we must play politics with. We need to be very sensitive with how we politicise issues like this to allow the loved ones to mourn the loss of their father, uncle, brother or cousin.”
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