APC Not Responsible for Opposition Crisis, Says Pi-CNG Chairman

Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, Ismaeel Ahmed, has dismissed allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress is deliberately weakening opposition parties, saying the challenges facing rival political groups are self-inflicted.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ahmed maintained that Nigeria’s constitutional democracy does not permit any political party to single-handedly destabilize another.

According to him, opposition parties must take responsibility for their internal crises rather than blame the ruling party.

“No political party or leader can make themselves the sole candidate or destabilize the entire political system because the country is governed by constitutional laws,” he said.

Ahmed said opposition leaders have failed to demonstrate the political resilience shown by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his years outside power.

He noted that Tinubu remained politically active despite several setbacks and built alliances that eventually produced the APC.

“The question is why the opposition does not have the staying power President Tinubu had when he was in opposition,” Ahmed said.

He added that although the APC would prefer a vibrant opposition, it could not organize rival parties on their behalf.

“We would like to see a virile opposition, but we cannot help them if they continue to weaken themselves,” he stated.

On the issue of defections by governors and other political figures to the APC, Ahmed denied claims of intimidation or coercion, insisting that such moves were voluntary.

“Why would a governor elected by his people and protected by constitutional immunity be forced to defect? Politics is about numbers, and when people decide to join us, we welcome them,” he said.

Ahmed recalled that defections were also part of the political process that strengthened the APC in 2013 when several governors left the People’s Democratic Party to join the opposition coalition.

Speaking on the Federal Government’s compressed natural gas programme, Ahmed said Nigeria had recorded major progress since the initiative began.

According to him, fewer than 7,000 vehicles used CNG before 2023, with less than 10 refuelling stations nationwide, but that the number has now risen to about 120,000 converted vehicles and over 60 stations across the country.

He disclosed that government plans are underway to distribute 100,000 conversion kits in the coming weeks to further boost adoption.

Ahmed explained that CNG remains between 40 and 60 per cent cheaper than petrol and described Nigeria’s gas reserves as a major advantage for long-term energy transition.

He also defended current economic reforms by the Tinubu administration, saying they are difficult but necessary to stabilise the economy and prevent deeper national hardship.

According to him, government is also pursuing alternative transport solutions, including CNG and electric vehicles, to ease transportation costs for Nigerians.