The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing them of being desperate to return to power in order to exploit state resources.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC dismissed recent criticisms by the trio as politically motivated and rooted in their frustration over being locked out of the power structure.
The party was reacting to comments made by Atiku, Amaechi and El-Rufai during a public lecture held in Abuja on May 31 to mark Amaechi’s 60th birthday. APC described the gathering as a thinly veiled political rally disguised as a birthday celebration.
“What should have been a celebration of a public servant quickly turned into a campaign of bitterness by displaced political actors seeking to reoccupy positions of influence for personal enrichment,” Morka stated.
According to the APC, the three opposition figures had collectively held key national positions for over two decades but left no meaningful legacy in terms of poverty reduction or economic reform.
“For 24 years, they wielded enormous influence as vice president, governors, and ministers, yet poverty remained unaddressed. Now, they accuse President Tinubu of not solving in two years what they failed to tackle in a generation,” the statement read.
The ruling party said Amaechi, in particular, had benefited from uninterrupted public office for 24 years—eight years each as Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Governor of Rivers, and a Federal Minister.
“Now he says he is hungry. Of course he is—hungry to resume his reliance on state coffers. His statement reflects the mindset of a political class that sees public office not as service but as a feeding bottle,” Morka said.
He argued that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms were breaking up entrenched systems of corruption, rent-seeking, and political patronage—disrupting the comfort zone of former leaders who had grown accustomed to looting public funds.
“Their resistance is not about the welfare of Nigerians. It’s about their discomfort with a reforming economy that rewards merit over connections and productivity over privilege,” Morka said.
He also took aim at Atiku and Peter Obi, describing them as long-time beneficiaries of a broken system who are now threatened by efforts to fix it.
“These attacks from Amaechi, Atiku, El-Rufai and Obi are merely the tantrums of men who profited immensely from Nigeria’s dysfunction. Now that the gravy train is slowing down, they want to return and derail the progress,” he added.
2027 will be Tinubu’s litmus test — Atiku
In a swift counterattack, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar declared that the 2027 elections would be a referendum on the Tinubu administration’s performance.
Speaking through his media adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, Atiku said the APC was deflecting from its failure to govern effectively by attacking political opponents.
“It is clear they were never ready for governance. They’re focused on propaganda while the people suffer under their mismanagement,” Ibe said in Abuja.
He mocked the administration for recently celebrating the completion of 30 kilometres out of a 700-kilometre road project, describing it as a symbol of failure and misplaced priorities.
“They held elaborate celebrations for 4% completion. That money could have gone into extending the road instead of media fanfare,” he said.
Ibe cited rising hunger, job losses, and Nigeria’s unenviable status as the poverty capital of the world as evidence of the administration’s failure to address key socio-economic challenges.
“People can’t even afford to buy rams for Eid. In many communities, people now contribute money just to afford one ram. This is the level of economic hardship,” he said.
He rejected claims that Atiku was seeking a return to power for personal gain, saying the former vice president had built successful businesses and remained committed to public service.
“Atiku built his empire long before politics. He funds his campaigns with his own resources. The suggestion that he needs public office to survive is laughable,” he stated.
Ibe urged the APC to focus on governance and stop obsessing over Atiku’s political relevance.
“Instead of issuing endless press statements about Atiku, they should channel that energy into making life better for Nigerians,” he said.
Concluding, he warned that the ruling party would face judgment at the polls.
“2027 will be a decisive moment. That election will not be APC versus PDP. It will be Bola Tinubu versus the Nigerian people,” Ibe declared.
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