The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday derided opposition parties over their recent criticisms of the Federal Government, accusing them of acting out of self-interest rather than genuine concern for Nigerians.

APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, reacting to the opposition’s briefing in Abuja, said their outcry was driven by what he described as a loss of access to state resources, not a commitment to national development.

Fielding questions after he met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Bashiru said the critics were “mourning the end of an era” in which public funds were allegedly siphoned through systemic loopholes.

“They are not crying for the average Nigerian or for the development of our people,” Bashiru said. “They are crying because they have lost the privilege and opportunity to continue to plunder the resources of the Nigerian people.”

The APC scribe argued that reforms introduced by the President Bola Tinubu administration have disrupted entrenched interests that previously benefited from subsidy regimes and financial leakages.

He maintained that measures taken in the past two and a half years, including fiscal and monetary reforms, have strengthened public finances and improved macroeconomic indicators.

Bashiru insisted that rather than acknowledge the reforms, opposition figures have resorted to what he termed “theatrics,” claiming their protests were rooted in frustration over diminished political leverage.

He urged them to return to the grassroots and seek electoral legitimacy, instead of what he described as “lamentations born out of lost privilege.”

On the defection of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to the APC, Bashiru described the development as consistent with President Tinubu’s vision of building a pan-Nigerian political platform.

“I think we saw it coming. The goal of our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is to build a pan-Nigerian political party. Across the geopolitical zones, we have a very strong presence,” he said.

According to him, with the addition of Fintiri, the APC has further consolidated its dominance in the North-east, leaving only one state in the zone outside the party’s fold.

He added that the APC currently controls 30 states, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has three, with one each under the Accord Party, Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

]Bashiru described the spread as a testament to the political acceptability of the APC and what he termed the political sagacity of President Tinubu.

He said the ruling party is consolidating its structures nationwide following successful ward and local government congresses, as it prepares for state congresses scheduled for next week.