After Placing Penalties on Critics, APC Admits Economic Hardship Brought by Tinubu’s Policies

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has acknowledged that the economic reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration have exacerbated the economic hardship faced by Nigerians after placing penalties on party members who had earlier criticised the government.

In a statement on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said while the reforms have imposed difficulties on citizens, they are necessary steps to address the longstanding issues plaguing the nation’s economy.

Morka’s statement came in response to remarks by former APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), Dr Salihu Lukman, who called on opposition parties and Nigerians to vote out the APC in the 2027 general elections, criticising the ruling party for economic mismanagement.

“The APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu is taking bold measures to reset our country’s long-broken economy, improve national security, and restore sustainable development. No doubt, these inevitable reforms have increased economic hardship for our people,” Morka said.

He blamed previous administrations for avoiding the hard decisions that would have set the economy on a better path, leaving the country in prolonged stagnation.

“It would be easy and painless for President Tinubu to do as his predecessors have done—continue business as usual and kick the can down the road while the rot and stagnation fester. But in keeping with the renewed hope agenda of his administration, he has chosen to tackle the country’s generational economic problems for the good of present and future generations of Nigerians,” he added.

Morka expressed confidence that President Tinubu’s efforts would eventually be vindicated, describing his approach as being in the national interest and beneficial to all Nigerians.

Addressing Lukman’s criticisms, Morka dismissed them as attention-seeking, accusing the former APC official of trying to remain politically relevant since leaving the party. He described Lukman’s call to vote out the APC as baseless and self-serving.

Lukman had accused the APC of “ruining the country in economic policies and corruption”. He urged opposition parties and Nigerians to unite against the ruling party in the next election cycle. However, Morka downplayed these claims, insisting that the difficult reforms were necessary to revive the country’s ailing economy.

However, the party had earlier sacked Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno south as Chief Whip of the Senate, after his criticism of Tinubu’s administration.

Ndume’s removal was recommended by his party, the All Progressive Congress, in a letter written to the senate and signed by the party’s National Chairman, Umar Ganduje and the National Secretary, Senator Bashir Ajibola.

Ndume pointed out that Tinubu is surrounded by sycophants and looters who shield him from reality.

“Mr President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the villa. He has been fenced off and caged. So many of us won’t go through the backdoor to engage him.”

“Nigerians are getting very, very angry. The government is not doing anything about the food scarcity and needs to do something urgently. We don’t have food reserves.

“There is unavailability of food. The food crisis is the worst crisis that any nation can encounter. If we add that to the security crisis, it will be severe,” Ndume pointed.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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