APC blasts Amaechi, Atiku, El-Rufai over “desperate” criticism of Tinubu’s reforms

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a scathing response to criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies by three prominent political figures—former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi—describing their remarks as driven by desperation for a return to power.

In a press statement issued Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC accused the trio of weaponizing a birthday celebration for Amaechi to mount what it called a “frenzied” and “self-serving” attack on Tinubu’s administration.

The party dismissed allegations made at the public lecture in Abuja, marking Amaechi’s 60th birthday, that the government was “weaponizing poverty” by failing to alleviate hardship in its two years in power.

“These statements… quickly dissolved into an occasion for Amaechi, Atiku, and El-Rufai—leading displaced rent-seekers—to showcase their frenzied desperation to grab power purely for their self-aggrandizement,” Morka stated.

The APC said the three men, who have held high political offices collectively for over two decades, did little to address the poverty they now accuse the current administration of failing to solve.

“In all 24 years, the trio… could not and did not eradicate poverty in their states or the country. They did not even attempt to address, let alone tackle, the structural challenges and distortions that stifled the economy and worsened poverty over the years,” the party said.

The statement singled out Amaechi for particular criticism, alleging that his long political career—spanning eight years each as Speaker, Governor, and Minister—was marked by “freeloading” and an absence of any credible poverty-reduction effort.

Referring to Amaechi’s reported declaration at the event that “I am hungry,” the APC said this should be interpreted not literally but as a metaphor for political ambition.

“He is hungry and desperate to return to his felt entitled dependency on state resources and patronage… It simply underscores the depth of the self-serving motivations,” Morka said.

The APC insisted that President Tinubu’s bold reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and exchange rate unification, were necessary correctives after years of economic mismanagement under previous administrations—particularly during the 16 years of PDP rule.

“The erstwhile artificially overvalued Naira stifled local production, encouraged import dependency, and exacerbated poverty,” Morka noted, adding that current critics such as Atiku and Peter Obi were “beneficiaries” of that broken system.

According to the party, Tinubu’s administration has made unprecedented progress in economic reforms, citing a reported 4.6% GDP growth in Q4 2024 and increased investments in oil and gas, infrastructure, and manufacturing.

“Nigerians in productive sectors are reaping the benefits… while rent-seekers like Amaechi and his coalition partners are left seething with rage,” the statement said.

On the minimum wage, the party pointed to improvements, stating that states which previously struggled to pay N30,000 are now paying N70,000, attributing this to increased revenue and economic reform.

Despite acknowledging transitional hardships, the APC asserted that Tinubu’s policies are steering the country away from economic dependency and toward sustainable growth.

“President Tinubu has genuinely prioritized the best interest of Nigerians over any political electoral calculation,” Morka concluded, dismissing the critics as “hardened political opportunists and economic exploiters.”