Atiku hypocritical in criticising Tinubu govt, says APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his relentless condemnation of the policies of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

APC spokesman Mr. Felix Morka in a statement argued that Atiku’s antagonistic posture is not only politically motivated but hypocrisy taken too far.

Urging Nigerians to double down on their support for President Tinubu’s administration, the party expressed confidence that despite what it termed “the transient economic pains” associated with the reforms lasting gains, better and brighter days are ahead for all.

APC argued that 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.

APC contended that Atiku’s policy offering starkly failed to acknowledge complex contradictions, past mistakes, and the extreme urgency of the moment.

APC particularly accused Atiku of continually gaslighting 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, allegedly helped to destroy as a two term Vice President under PDP’s wasteful years.

It noted: “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.

“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 favors 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 on 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.”