Society Gists

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fired back at former government officials Rotimi Amaechi, Atiku Abubakar, and Nasir El-Rufai, accusing them of orchestrating a self-serving campaign to reclaim power at all costs.

In a strongly worded statement signed by the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party dismissed claims made by the trio at a public lecture in Abuja on May 31, 2025, commemorating Amaechi’s 60th birthday.

At the event, the former officials criticized the Tinubu administration for allegedly “weaponizing poverty” and failing to deliver economic relief two years into its tenure.

However, the APC countered the accusations, branding the remarks as hypocritical and driven by “desperation for self-serving power.” Morka said the event, rather than being a celebration, became a platform for “displaced rent-seekers” to vent their frustration at being cut off from state privileges.

“These three individuals have held Nigeria’s highest offices between 1999 and 2023, yet they failed to eradicate poverty or reform the structural bottlenecks holding the economy back,” the statement read.

“Now, barely two years out of office, they claim concern for the poor, while their records show a legacy of rent-seeking, waste, and state capture.”

The APC highlighted Amaechi’s long political career, spanning 24 years from his days as Speaker in Rivers State to his tenure as Minister of Transportation, arguing that his claims of being “hungry” now are symbolic of his desperation to return to state patronage.

In a direct attack, the APC accused Atiku and Peter Obi of benefiting immensely from the same import-dependent economy they now decry.

“Atiku, a former customs officer, and Obi, a wealthy importer, thrived in a rigged system that punished local producers,” the party stated. Defending President Tinubu’s economic policies, the statement emphasized that reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidies and harmonization of exchange rates were necessary to reverse decades of economic decay.

It credited the administration’s market-driven approach with stimulating investment, increasing productivity, and reducing import dependency.

“The Naira has been allowed to find its true value, and while this transition has short-term costs, it is catalyzing a more resilient and productive economy,” Morka asserted. “States are now able to pay a N70,000 minimum wage, up from N30,000, and local industries are thriving.” Citing a 4.6% economic growth rate in the last quarter of 2024—reported as the highest in a decade—the APC described the economy as being in “full rebound.” It noted rising exports, trade surpluses, and industrial growth across regions, including the influence of the Dangote Refinery and increased manufacturing output from the South East. The statement concluded with a declaration that President Tinubu will not be “distracted by hardened political opportunists,” and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to reforms over electoral expediency. “The President is on course,” the party declared, “and the interest of Nigerians must continue to trump the ambitions of those who fed fat on the old system.