Atiku, El-rufai and Amaechi
By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja –
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fired back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Governor of Kaduna State Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, dismissing their criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration as “self-serving” and “desperate.”
According to the APC, “Amaechi, Atiku, and El-Rufai are united in desperation for self-serving power. They have occupied Nigeria’s highest political offices for over two decades, but their track record is devoid of any meaningful attempt to eradicate poverty or address structural challenges that stifle the economy.”
The APC noted that Amaechi’s 24-year tenure in government, including eight years as Governor of Rivers State and eight years as Minister of Transportation, was marked by “mindless rent-seeking behavior” and “corrupt and wasteful expenditures.” The party stated, “When Amaechi declared, ‘I am hungry,’ he must mean, and must be understood to mean, that he is hungry and desperate to return to his felt entitled dependency on state resources and patronage.”
The APC further said, “Their criticisms reek of special interest masqueraded as concern for the people. They are discomforted that Tinubu’s reforms are dismantling the insidious and permissive system that enabled and sustained their reckless plunder and exploitation of the economy.”
In response to the criticisms, the APC praised President Tinubu’s bold economic reforms, saying, “President Tinubu has demonstrated political will to tackle structural barriers to the country’s economic growth and development far more than any other President in Nigeria’s modern history.”
The party added, “By his bold economic reforms, President Tinubu is systematically building the most potent bulwark against poverty and positioning the economy for sustained and sustainable growth and prosperity for all Nigerians.”
The APC also highlighted the benefits of the reforms, stating, “The removal of fuel subsidies has been a game-changer. It ended massive corruption that plagued the fuel subsidy enterprise, eliminated perennial shortages and queues at petrol stations, and has sparked a surge in investments in the oil and gas and other sectors of the economy.”
Furthermore, the APC said, “The harmonisation of multiple exchange rates has further bolstered Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global market for goods and capital. With increased revenue, the federal, state, and local governments are now investing more in critical infrastructure, education, health, security, and social welfare.”
The party concluded that Nigerians see through the trio’s “disruptive politicking” and are instead reaping the benefits of reforms that have increased opportunities and income for entrepreneurs, farmers, and service providers.
“The President’s reforms are dawning a new day for Nigeria,” the APC said. “The best strategic interest of our economy and the good people of Nigeria must continue to trump any and all political or electoral calculations.”
