The All Progressives Congress (APC) has lashed out at Aminu Tambuwal, the former Sokoto State governor and ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, accusing him and other opposition leaders of failing Nigerians with “hollow politics” and “baseless smear campaigns” against President Bola Tinubu.
APC, in a strongly worded statement issued, on Sunday, by Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary, said Tambuwal’s recent television interview, where he alleged that the APC and Tinubu were plotting to destabilise opposition parties, was nothing more than “bogus claims without substantiation.”
“Tambuwal, like his garrulous opposition cohort, offered no substantiation of his bogus claims.
“By their inert and lackluster engagement, it is now clear to Nigerians that the present crop of opposition leaders have lost focus, assuming they ever had any, aside from their compulsive and obsessive crave for power and patronage that feed their huge ego and greed”, Morka said.
The ruling party took direct aim at opposition heavyweights, including Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President; Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor; Peter Obi, Labour Party’s, and Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transport, accusing them of failing “horridly and disgracefully” to provide leadership or build viable opposition structures.
“It is perplexing that these opposition leaders, the likes of Tambuwal, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi and Rotimi Amechi, who have occupied some of the highest political offices in our country have failed, horridly and disgracefully, to provide leadership, purpose, direction and vitality to their parties,” the statement read.
APC further dismissed Tambuwal’s claim that his ongoing probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged illegal cash withdrawals of N189 billion was politically motivated.
“Tambuwal must believe that his status as an opposition politician confers some kind of immunity from investigation or prosecution by anti-corruption agencies.
“Resorting to emotional blackmail against the government as a device to shield himself or anyone from lawful scrutiny, investigation or prosecution for suspected heinous economic crimes will not and should not cut it as opposition sacred cows”, he noted.
The party maintained that Tinubu and his administration had no time to meddle in the opposition’s affairs, describing the parties as “badly broken by their own failures and internal contradictions.”
“For the umpteenth time, President Tinubu and our great Party are preoccupied with the important business of governance and do not have idle time to meddle in the internal affairs of parties that are already badly broken by their own failures,” the statement said.
The APC ridiculed attempts by opposition leaders to form a coalition, pointing to the “hostile takeover” of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as evidence of the disunity among them.
“The opposition’s attempt at building a coalition remains a figment that is not coalescing due to the competing selfishness, desperation and arrogance of its leaders,” Morka stated.
The party vowed that Nigerians would once again reject opposition figures in 2027, just as they had done in previous elections.
“With nothing of value to offer Nigerians, these opposition elements have now turned political prophets trumpeting their base wishes and 2027 predictions that only truly portend the devastating defeat that awaits them at the voting thumbs of the good Nigerian electorate,” APC declared.
Morka concluded by stressing that while opposition leaders remained “rudderless,” the APC was committed to strengthening internal democracy and that Tinubu would remain focused on “rebuilding generationally neglected foundations of our economic life and repositioning the country for sustainable progress.”
