The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of owing its staff salaries for more than 12 months, questioning the party’s ability to manage the affairs of the country.

The council made the allegation in a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, in which it criticised the ADC National Working Committee, led by Sen. David Mark as chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as secretary, over the alleged non-payment of workers.

The APC described the alleged development as unacceptable, arguing that a political party aspiring to govern Nigeria should demonstrate its commitment to workers’ welfare by fulfilling its obligations to its own employees.

It said the alleged failure to pay staff contradicted the ADC’s promises to Nigerians and raised questions about its commitment to addressing the country’s challenges.

The council also accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, whom it identified as the ADC’s presidential candidate, of having a history of owing employees in his businesses.

According to the statement, workers at Gotel Communication and other businesses associated with Atiku had experienced months of unpaid salaries and staged protests over outstanding wages and other benefits.

The APC further criticised Aregbesola’s record on workers’ salaries and pension payments during his eight-year tenure as governor of Osun State.

It alleged that his administration introduced quarter-salary and half-salary payments because of financial mismanagement, while pensioners went unpaid for more than four years.

The council claimed that the alleged non-payment of pensions caused hardship among retirees, some of whom it said died because they could not afford basic necessities.

The statement linked the allegations against Atiku and Aregbesola to what it described as the ADC’s inability to manage its internal affairs, arguing that the party’s handling of staff welfare raised concerns about its readiness to govern.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council urged Nigerians and workers to reject the ADC, Atiku and other candidates of the party in the next general elections.

It maintained that a political party seeking public office should be accountable for the welfare of its workforce and demonstrate responsible management of its resources.

The statement, however, did not provide documentary evidence of the alleged outstanding salaries or indicate whether the ADC had been contacted for a response.

The allegations could not be independently verified from the statement.

The ADC had not responded to the allegation as of the time of filling this report.