Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), criticised African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar on Friday for calling on President Bola Tinubu to cut petrol prices and ease the rising cost of living. Morka said Atiku had failed to present a clear alternative to the economic policies of the Tinubu administration.
Morka made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today after Atiku’s press conference in Abuja, where the former vice‑president urged the federal government to take measures to reduce petrol prices and relieve households, workers and businesses from the burden of high energy costs.
“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 not articulated any sensible position or policy as an alternative to what the government has implemented.
“A sensible idea does not become a bad idea because it came from your opponent,” Atiku said, offering to make his policy framework available to the government and urging that any measure capable of reducing the cost of living be implemented regardless of its source.
Morka accused Atiku of supporting the removal of the petrol subsidy during the 2023 presidential campaign, only to criticize the policy after it was implemented by the Tinubu administration. He also noted Atiku’s opposition to the planned phase‑out of electricity subsidies from 2027, arguing that households, small businesses and manufacturers were already strained by high electricity, diesel and alternative power costs.
In response, Morka questioned Atiku’s record on the power sector during his tenure as vice‑president, pointing out that Atiku had the opportunity to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges while in government but failed to do so. He asked why Atiku was now proposing measures he could not implement when he had the chance.
The APC’s critique underscores the broader debate over subsidy removal and economic policy in Nigeria, as opposition parties seek to hold the Tinubu administration accountable for the country’s rising cost of living.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>