APC Blasts Atiku, Amaechi, El-Rufai: Says Their Coalition Is Driven by Desperation for Power

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of forming a coalition out of desperation to return to power for selfish reasons.

In a statement issued Monday in Abuja, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, dismissed the trio’s recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, describing them as “frustrated rent-seekers clinging to fading political relevance.”

The criticisms, made during Amaechi’s 60th birthday lecture on May 31, included pointed remarks about the harsh economic realities under Tinubu’s government. Amaechi notably stated, “We’re all hungry. If you’re not hungry, I am.”

Morka hit back, asserting that those criticizing the government had themselves failed to address poverty or economic reforms during their collective 24 years in power.

“These individuals held some of the highest offices between 1999 and 2023, yet failed to eradicate poverty or address deep-rooted structural economic problems. Now they pretend to hold the answers they never pursued,” Morka said.

He accused the former leaders of mismanaging public resources, promoting cronyism, and engaging in wasteful spending. Commenting on Amaechi’s remark about being hungry, Morka said, “What he really means is that he is desperate to return to his entitled access to state resources.”

The APC also took aim at Atiku and Peter Obi, accusing both of benefiting from an outdated, import-reliant economic system that Tinubu’s reforms are now dismantling. According to Morka, the artificially overvalued naira and past protectionist policies discouraged local productivity and fueled poverty.

“Tinubu’s reforms are ending that era. We are building an economy that rewards hard work, innovation, and real value—not political entitlement,” the statement read.

The ruling party called on Nigerians to see through what it described as opportunistic politics from opposition figures trying to exploit public frustration for personal political gain.