The All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a blistering critique against three of its prominent former members —former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai — accusing them of orchestrating a calculated campaign to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to the ruling party, this coordinated attack is a desperate attempt by the trio to reclaim lost political relevance and restore their access to state patronage.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, condemned the recent criticisms directed at Tinubu’s economic policies. Morka dismissed the allegations as hypocritical and devoid of merit, attributing them to the selfish ambitions of political figures who failed to address the same issues when they held significant power in the past.
The criticisms surfaced during a lecture organised in Abuja on Saturday in celebration of Amaechi’s birthday. There, accusations were made that Tinubu was “weaponising poverty” — a claim the APC firmly rejected. Morka asserted that such claims ignored the legacy of poor governance by those now pointing fingers, describing the gathering as a political masquerade rather than a genuine policy critique.
“These men — Atiku, Amaechi, and el-Rufai — held some of the highest offices in Nigeria from 1999 to 2023, serving as vice president, ministers, and governors,” the APC noted. “Yet, during those 24 years, they neither eradicated poverty nor made meaningful attempts to reform the systemic issues that have perpetuated it.”
Morka described the trio as “displaced rent-seekers,” suggesting they had long benefited from state resources and were now aggrieved by the Tinubu administration’s reforms, which have disrupted such entrenched privileges. “They are frustrated not because of concern for the Nigerian people, but because their entitled access to public wealth has been cut off,” he said.
Of the three, Amaechi was particularly singled out. Having held office as a Speaker, Governor, and Minister over two decades, Morka argued that Amaechi had “absolutely no record” of confronting poverty. “When Amaechi says, ‘I am hungry,’ we must understand it as a metaphor for his desperation to resume his accustomed reliance on state resources,” Morka declared.
The APC staunchly defended President Tinubu’s economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the harmonisation of the exchange rate, describing them as courageous steps toward long-term prosperity. According to Morka, these reforms have already begun to bear fruit, citing a 4.6% GDP growth recorded in the final quarter of 2024 — an achievement he called “historic.”
Furthermore, the party pointed to improved wage standards across the country as additional evidence of the success of Tinubu’s economic strategies. “State governments that once struggled to pay a N30,000 minimum wage are now offering up to N70,000. That is the impact of reform rooted in fiscal discipline and economic realignment,” Morka stated.
Rejecting the criticisms as nothing more than “selfish partisan ramblings,” the APC maintained that Tinubu remains focused on restructuring the economy for the benefit of ordinary Nigerians — not for the comfort of entrenched political elites. “The president will not be distracted by those who profited from an inefficient and exploitative system,” the statement said.
Morka concluded by asserting that Nigeria is now witnessing the emergence of an economic culture grounded in productivity and innovation, rather than patronage and favoritism.
“Farmers, entrepreneurs, and service providers are beginning to thrive. It’s only those clinging to the past — like Amaechi and his cohorts — who are now lashing out in frustration,” he said.
As Tinubu’s administration approaches the midpoint of its tenure, Lagos Reporters remains committed to delivering accurate, fact-checked updates on political discourse and policy shifts that shape Nigeria’s future.