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…Warns Inciting Anarchy Not Legitimate Opposition Politics

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of tacitly instigating a revolu­tion in Nigeria.

Atiku had on Monday in a statement raised the alarm over the increasing spate of hunger currently ravaging the country, saying such development is un­acceptable.

Reacting on Tuesday, in Abuja, the APC, in a statement by its spokesman, Felix Morka, said that Atiku’s statement is nothing short of a tacit instigation of a revolution in Nigeria.

The party, which said that Atiku’s statement is reckless, irresponsible, un­befitting and degrading to his status as former vice president, warned that Atiku must know that instigating anarchy is not legitimate or justifiable opposition politics, adding that instigating violent uprising is not a protected free­dom.

Describing the statement as a new low in a recent streak of incendiary commentaries, APC said that as Vice President, Atiku was clueless about solving Nige­ria’s economic challenges.

The party said that Atiku sounded a false alarm about “hunger and insecurity,” dis­missed the transformative reforms of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and likened Nigeria’s situation to cir­cumstances that justified historic violent revolutions and uprising in France, Russia and the Arab Spring.”

APC said: “While garbed as a critique of the economic policies of President Tinubu’s adminis­tration, Atiku’s statement is noth­ing short of a tacit instigation of a revolution in Nigeria. His state­ment is reckless, irresponsible, unbefitting and degrading to his status as former vice president.

“As a two-term Vice President, Atiku and his PDP, at the time, had the opportunity, backed by humongous oil revenues, to erad­icate hunger, poverty and insecu­rity. Atiku and his PDP failed to do so. In fact, they made absolutely no impression against hunger, poverty and insecurity in Nigeria.

“They governed for 16 years, did not and could not eradicate hunger, poverty and insecurity in Nigeria. Instead, Atiku and his PDP democratised hunger and poverty in our country. They plundered and looted our trea­sury, and enthroned corruption and profligacy as state policy. Ati­ku and his PDP cemented the sor­did foundations of hunger, pover­ty and insecurity that President Tinubu is battling courageously and relentlessly to defeat, with growing success.

“As Vice President, Atiku was clueless about solving Ni­geria’s economic challenges. As a forever-presidential aspirant, he remains eminently clueless about what it takes to tackle our country’s economic challenges. Atiku’s confession to the looting of $16 billion meant to provide electricity to Nigerians, under his watch as vice president, is a stark reminder of his record of incom­petent and failed leadership.

“Now out of power, Atiku thinks himself as possessing knowledge and capacity he so miserably lacked when he had the opportunity to govern as vice president. That is utterly delusional. Nigerians know this and it is reason they have serially rebuffed his attempts to be pres­ident. Nigerians are on standby to deal Atiku, hopefully, a full and final rejection in 2027.

“Blinded by desperation, tor­mented by President Tinubu’s impressive and inimitable strides, distraught by an unrealised pres­idential ambition, disoriented by anxieties of a far faded political future, Atiku has become inca­pable of objective, reasoned and rational assessment of the state of our rebounded and stable econ­omy, now set to secure growth and deliver prosperity for our nation.”

Berating Atiku as a man, who is out of touch with the reality of the benefits now flowing from Tinubu’s administration’s trans­formative Renewed Hope eco­nomic reforms, APC said, “That Atiku’s disturbing statement was made on a day when all news platforms had headline reports of consistent lowering of infla­tion numbers, at a period when all vital economic indicators are looking up and pointing in a pos­itive direction, shows clearly that he is out of touch with the reality of the benefits now flowing from the administration’s transfor­mative Renewed Hope economic reforms.”

The party added that “Atiku must know that instigating anar­chy is not legitimate or justifiable opposition politics. It is wrong, irresponsible, unpatriotic and unacceptable. While critique of the administration’s economic policies is within the opposition’s democratic freedom, instigating violent uprising is not a protected freedom.

“Violence is never a desirable or acceptable mode of democratic engagement. Atiku should know better and refrain from the use of inflammatory language capable of stoking violence and under­mining the peace and safety of Nigerians. His duty to country must trump his desperate and in­ordinate presidential ambition.”

APC said that they trust Nige­rians to ignore Atiku’s inciting statement as self-serving, an­ti-democratic and a threat to the peace, unity, interest and progress of our dear country.

“Atiku hardly resides in Ni­geria and will not be available to partake in the attendant pain, destruction, mayhem and deso­lation that the revolution he is instigating will bring. We must guard our God-given liberties and not lend them to be sacrificed at the pleasure of Atiku’s political ambition,” It said.

The party urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in support of President Tinubu’s administra­tion as it continues in its unyield­ing efforts to build a nation of our collective dream.