By Ebenezer Mabinuola
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a blistering response to recent remarks made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, accusing the trio of staging a “desperate, self-serving campaign for power” masked as concern for national welfare.
In a statement signed by APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, the party dismissed criticisms made during a public lecture in Abuja marking Amaechi’s 60th birthday, where the speakers reportedly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the economy and poverty alleviation.
“These three individuals have held top political positions from 1999 to 2023 under the PDP and other platforms, yet failed to address the very issues they now lament,” Morka stated. The APC accused the leaders of benefiting from a rent-seeking system they helped build, charging that their recent outbursts reflect not public concern but a longing to return to power.
Citing Amaechi’s comments at the event – including his statement, “I am hungry” – the party suggested the remark reflected political desperation, not empathy. “He is hungry and desperate to return to his entitled dependency on state resources and patronage,” Morka said.
The party defended President Tinubu’s economic reforms, describing them as bold and overdue. These include fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate harmonization, and a market-led currency policy – all intended, the APC said, to correct structural distortions and curb elite profiteering.
“Unlike his predecessors, Tinubu has shown the political will to do what others merely talked about,” the statement read, highlighting a reported Q4 2024 GDP growth of 4.6%, increased trade balance, and revitalized local industry as early signs of recovery.
The APC also pointed to minimum wage increases in some states as evidence of a people-focused agenda and insisted that the long-term gains of the reforms outweigh current hardships.
The statement comes amid growing discontent – some from former allies – over the social impact of the government’s economic policies, including inflation and a volatile naira. Still, the APC painted Tinubu as a reformer battling entrenched interests.
As Nigeria’s political climate grows more charged ahead of the next electoral cycle, the clash underscores a broader struggle over narrative: whether citizens will prioritize short-term relief or long-term restructuring.
