The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned what it describes as "dictatorial tendencies" of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the sealing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat in Abuja.

The controversy erupted after Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike reportedly directed the Federal Capital Development Administration (FCDA) to seal the PDP headquarters over alleged non-payment of ground rents spanning several years.

Speaking in Calabar, ADC National Publicity Secretary Effiong Nyong called the action "a tragic testimony of our democratic evolution" and urged "true democrats" to resist what he termed as the "emerging dictatorship" of the ruling party.

"The clampdown is a wake-up call to all true democrats to resist the emerging dictatorship of the ruling party. It should be seen as anti-people. This trend, if allowed to stand, will further take Nigeria down the hill of political embarrassment in the comity of democratic nations of Africa and the world," Nyong stated.

The ADC spokesperson further claimed that the APC has been "pretending to be democrats" while suggesting that "even the late General Sanni Abacha regime was more tolerant."

"Nigerians must rise against this evil and note that we are all in this together. This is not about the PDP but against all Nigerians as we are all feeling the pains and suffering of bad governance under the current dispensation," he added.

In response to these allegations, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, a former presidential adviser and APC stalwart, defended the government's actions, dismissing attempts to politicize what he described as a lawful enforcement of obligations.

"No entity, regardless of status, should be exempt from legal and financial obligations. The law is impartial and does not discriminate based on political affiliations," Obono-Obla stated.

He emphasized that political parties should set examples of integrity and responsibility, expressing surprise that a party generating substantial revenue from nomination forms would allegedly neglect its financial obligations for over two decades.

The incident has intensified the already heated political climate as opposition parties continue to challenge what they perceive as overreach by the ruling APC government.