The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his call on President Bola Tinubu to reduce petrol prices and ease the rising cost of living in Nigeria.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, accused Atiku of failing to present a clear policy alternative to the economic measures being implemented by the Tinubu administration.
Morka made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, following Atiku’s call at a press conference in Abuja for the Federal Government to take urgent steps to reduce petrol prices and ease the financial pressure on Nigerians.
“The last I checked, the former Vice President is a candidate of a political party for the office of president. He should be telling Nigerians exactly what he plans to do to improve the lives of Nigerians,” Morka said.
He added that Atiku had yet to articulate what he described as a clear and credible alternative to the policies of the Tinubu administration.
“Asking Mr President to listen to him, he is neither here nor there. He is simply just pulling his own political stunts,” Morka said.
The APC spokesman also accused Atiku of taking inconsistent positions on fuel subsidy removal, alleging that the former Vice President supported the policy during the 2023 presidential campaign before criticising its implementation under Tinubu.
Atiku had urged President Tinubu to use the remaining months of his administration to reduce petrol prices, arguing that high energy and transportation costs were increasing the financial burden on households, workers and businesses.
The former Vice President also offered to make his policy framework available to the Federal Government, arguing that any proposal capable of reducing the cost of living should be considered regardless of its political source.
“A sensible idea does not become a bad idea because it came from your opponent,” Atiku said.
Atiku also criticised the planned phase-out of electricity subsidies from 2027, warning that households, small businesses and manufacturers were already struggling with high electricity tariffs, diesel costs and expenses associated with alternative power generation.
He argued that the Federal Government should avoid repeating what he described as the negative experience of petrol subsidy removal in the electricity sector.
Responding, Morka questioned Atiku’s record on Nigeria’s power sector while serving as Vice President.
The APC spokesman argued that Atiku had an opportunity to influence reforms in the electricity sector while in government but failed to resolve the country's longstanding power challenges.
Morka questioned why the former Vice President was now proposing solutions to problems he had previously had an opportunity to address while in office.
