The All Progressives Congress, (APC), has come out swinging against three of its former political heavyweights – Rotimi Amaechi, Atiku Abubakar, and Nasir el-Rufa’i – accusing them of launching a coordinated attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration in a desperate bid to regain political relevance and access to state resources.
In a statement released yesterday, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described the trio’s recent criticism of Tinubu’s economic policies as “baseless”, “hypocritical”, and reflective of self-serving motives. The attack, he said, was made under the guise of a birthday lecture organised in honour of Amaechi in Abuja at the weekend.
According to Morka, the claims made at the event — including accusations that President Tinubu was “weaponising poverty” — failed to acknowledge the poor performance of the same individuals when they were in office.
“These three individuals have occupied Nigeria’s highest political offices between 1999 and 2023, either as vice-president, governors, or ministers. In all 24 years, they could not and did not eradicate poverty in their States or the country. They did not even attempt to tackle the structural challenges that worsened poverty”, the statement read.
The APC described Amaechi, Atiku and el-Rufai as “displaced rent-seekers”, who had enriched themselves from public office and were now frustrated by the Tinubu administration’s reforms which have disrupted their access to state patronage.
Morka particularly singled out Amaechi, who has served as Speaker, Governor, and Minister over the last two decades, accusing him of having “absolutely no record” of addressing poverty during his time in office.
The APC defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, such as the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of exchange rates, as bold moves that are already yielding significant results.
Morka said the country recorded a 4.6% GDP growth in the last quarter of 2024 – a development he described as “historic”.
The party also claimed that state governments that once struggled to pay the ₦30,000 minimum wage are now paying up to ₦70,000, citing it as proof of the positive impact of Tinubu’s reforms.
“Mr President is on course and will not be distracted by the selfish partisan ramblings of hardened political opportunists and economic exploiters only bent on preserving the old, inefficient and permissive economic system”, the statement read.
Morka concluded by asserting that Tinubu’s policies are creating a new economic order based on hard work and innovation, not political favoritism.
“Entrepreneurs, farmers and service providers are thriving, while rent-seekers like Amaechi and his coalition partners are left seething with rage”, he further said.
