By Hassan Osman Kargbo

The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has in a recent press release condemned the statement made by President Julius Maada Bio to the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

According to the release, the APC in the first place categorically condemns any attempt to associate their party to any form of violence. It added that as a responsible political party, they are strongly believe in the assumptions of power through the ballot box and not through barrel of gun, and that is why they have maintained their vehement condemnation of the use of brutal force by any party to gain and or retain power.

The opposition APC also noted with dismay that the President’s statement to the Economic Community of West African States – ECOWAS delegation associating their party with the August 10 2022 protests and also attributing their party’s contestation of the June 24 elections results to those violence events in the country.

‘We have also noted with dismay that in his statement to the high-powered delegation from the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Bio pointedly associated our party with the August 10 protests, and attributed our party’s contestation of the June 24 elections results to these violent events,’ part of the press release reads.

It furthered asserted that, the Sunday’s unfortunate acts should not be confused with the reality that the APC, other political parties, as well as independent local and international observers, including the Carter Center, have maintained that the results of the June 24 elections are lacking in transparency and fraught with statistical inaccuracies/possibilities.

The release continued that the APC party participated in the international community mediated dialogue in good faith; adding that they did so out of the desire for a peaceful resolution of the impasse. They have remained faithful to the full implementation of its agreement, and will continue to do so on to the completion of the mandate of the Tripartite Investigation Committee.

The APC once again expressed their grave concern about the use of their party headquarter as a shooting target. They said their party headquarter was not spared from the shooting that occurred on Sunday 26 November 2023, which led to the damage of their facilities.

They reiterated their commitment to acquiring political power through democratic means and unequivocally denounce the use of force in politics.