Nigeria’s major political parties traded heavy words on Monday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) fired back at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over comments on insecurity.

The PDP Governors’ Forum, through its Director General Emmanuel Agbo, dismissed the ADC as a “one chance political vehicle” and likened the party to a prodigal child that left home only to return seeking forgiveness.

The reaction followed ADC’s criticism that PDP governors were “dancing on the graves” of Nigerians killed in recent attacks in Zamfara State.

“The ADC, having made a decision akin to entering a ‘One Chance vehicle’, is reminded that, like the forgiving father of the prodigal son, the PDP still has its doors open if they return with genuine repentance,” the governors stated.

They also accused the ADC of playing politics with human lives, adding that the Gusau meeting, where ADC made its statement, sought to politicize insecurity. The PDP governors emphasized that their own discussions covered security challenges nationwide, including killings in Katsina, Plateau, Niger, and Benue States, while acknowledging Zamfara’s efforts to curb insecurity.

Meanwhile, the APC fired back at the PDP, describing it as a party “deep in comatose, crippled by crisis, and rejected by Nigerians.”

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said it was laughable for PDP governors, who meet in “scanty numbers,” to criticize other parties instead of fixing their own failing structure.

“The PDP has since fallen into ruins. When its governors gather, one would expect them to focus on resuscitating their terminally ailing party. Instead, they waste time on baseless allegations against our great party,” Morka said.

He added that APC’s recent victories in by-elections show Nigerians’ confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, dismissing PDP’s selective praise of elections only where it wins.

With elections drawing closer to 2027, the war of words among Nigeria’s political heavyweights shows no sign of slowing down — setting the stage for what could be a heated campaign season.