Atiku restless after electoral loss, APC tackles ex-vice president

The All Progressives Congress has once again criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of proposing outdated policies that fail to address Nigeria’s complex challenges and past mistakes.

In a statement released on Monday, the party, through its National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, claimed that Atiku’s policy suggestions would lead to more of the same failed approaches that characterized the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Since his electoral loss in 2023, Atiku has been vocal in condemning President Bola Tinubu’s policy initiatives. Recently, Atiku outlined what he would have done differently to address Nigeria’s problems if he had been elected. However, the APC dismissed his proposals as a mere repetition of ineffective ideas that led to corruption, inefficiency, and economic stagnation during the PDP’s time in power, according to Independent.

The APC further criticized Atiku for failing to acknowledge the contradictions and past mistakes that have plagued the country. According to the party, Atiku’s policy approach, particularly his gradual plan for subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms, has already been tested and failed to produce positive results. The APC also pointed out that Atiku’s proposed managed-floating exchange rate system would favor opportunists and cronies, benefiting a select few at the expense of ordinary Nigerians.

The APC argued that Atiku’s policy framework did not address the structural issues in the Nigerian economy and would not solve the more complex challenges the country faces today.

They also took issue with Atiku’s Economic Stimulus Fund and Infrastructure Development Unit, describing them as vague and lacking concrete implementation plans. Additionally, they criticized his five-point agenda, which includes restoring unity, rebuilding the economy, tackling insecurity, and improving education, for failing to provide specific details on how these goals would be achieved.

In contrast, the APC emphasized that President Tinubu’s administration is implementing a more comprehensive economic policy framework aimed at addressing Nigeria’s challenges at their core. The party stated that while price increases due to the unified exchange rate and subsidy removal are inevitable, Atiku failed to propose any solutions to mitigate these effects.

The APC reiterated that Tinubu’s reform agenda is necessary for building a strong, resilient, and sustainable economy for future generations. The party outlined that the reforms are crucial for stabilizing the economy, attracting investment, improving the business environment, and lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty. It also noted that the reforms are expected to free up over N1 trillion annually for investment in critical sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social investment programs.

Finally, the APC accused Atiku of using his continuous condemnation of the administration’s policies for selfish political gain, describing it as hypocrisy. The party urged Nigerians to continue supporting President Tinubu’s reforms, expressing confidence that, despite the temporary economic challenges, the country will see long-term benefits.

The statement reads, “Since his electoral loss in 2023, presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Par­ty (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abu­bakar, has been restless.

“His unabated wholesale condemnation of every pol­icy initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was punctuated, last Sunday, by a statement of what he would have done different­ly to solve our country’s challenges and transform Nigeria, had he been elect­ed president.

“Atiku’s policy prescrip­tion was a disappointing re­hash of more of the same old disastrous policy ap­proaches that brought our country to its knees, to be­gin with, under the PDP’s long rule.

“While conceding that he would have removed fuel subsidy and eliminat­ed the multiple exchange rate regimes, Atiku offered an implementation plan that regurgitates the same tired and ineffective ideas that turned widespread corruption, inefficiency, and economic stagnation as pillars of state policy under successive PDP ad­ministrations.”

Morka added, “Atiku’s policy offering starkly failed to acknowledge com­plex contradictions, past mistakes and the extreme urgency of the moment.

“His gradualist ap­proach to subsidy removal and foreign exchange re­forms have been tested be­fore and failed to produce any significant outcomes. Specifically, his preferred managed-floating system unfairly favours oppor­tunists and cronies who exploit and fleece the sys­tem for personal gain to the extreme detriment of the Nigerian people.

“Atiku’s gradualist mod­el did not address Nigeria’s problems of old, did not fundamentally alter the structure of our economy, and cannot address our current, more complex, challenges.

“In a rational manner, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has continued to inter­vene in the foreign exchange market, to provide some li­quidity and reduce pressure on our local currency.

“Atiku’s proposed Eco­nomic Stimulus Fund and Infrastructure Develop­ment Unit is opaque, lack­ing clarity and concrete implementation plans. He touts his five-point agenda that aims to restore unity, rebuild the economy, tack­le insecurity, and provide qualitative education but bare in detail of how these may be achieved.

“It is now clear for all to see that Atiku’s stale policy prescription has got noth­ing on the robust econom­ic policy framework now under implementation by President Tinubu’s admin­istration.

“But Atiku has con­tinued to gaslight Nigeri­ans, inciting outrage and enabling street protests against the administra­tion’s reform policy plan that is designed to rebuild the country’s economy that he helped to destroy as a two term vice president un­der PDP’s wasteful years.

“Atiku is well aware that price increases are an in­evitable consequence of implementing a unified exchange regime and re­moving petrol subsidies. There’s no magic bulwark against that. Atiku did not prescribe any.

“President Tinubu remains committed to implementing bold, for­ward-looking and effective policies that address Nige­ria’s complex challenges at their roots. President Tinu­bu’s reform agenda, tough as it may be, is required to build a strong, resilient, vibrant, prosperous and sustainable economy for present and future gener­ations of Nigerians.

““These reforms are crucial for stabilising the economy, attracting in­vestment, improving the business environment that supports growth and job creation, lifting millions out of poverty, and ensur­ing inclusive development. These reforms are expected to free up over N1 trillion annually for investment in critical sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social in­vestment programmes.

“Atiku’s relentless and indiscriminate condemna­tion of the administration’s policies for selfish partisan political mileage is hypoc­risy taken too far. Nigeri­ans expect and deserve more statesmanship from a former vice president of the Federal Republic.

“We urge Nigerians to double down on their sup­port for President Tinubu’s administration. We remain confident that despite the transient economic pains associated with the re­forms, lasting gains, bet­ter and brighter days are ahead for all Nigerians.”