The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of plotting a political comeback fueled by a desperate desire to access state resources.

In a statement issued yesterday by APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, the party dismissed recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration by the trio, describing their comments as “a shameless display of political hunger masquerading as patriotism.”

“These individuals Atiku, Amaechi, and El-Rufai are weaponizing poverty and public frustration in their quest to return to power and resume rent-seeking behaviour,” Morka said.

The APC was reacting to remarks made at a public lecture held on Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Abuja to mark Amaechi’s 60th birthday. The event, attended by Atiku and El-Rufai, quickly turned into a political forum, with all three delivering scathing critiques of the current administration.

A Legacy of Missed Opportunities?

According to the APC, the three political figures held significant public offices between 1999 and 2023 including vice president, governor, minister, and speaker yet failed to meaningfully reduce poverty or reform Nigeria’s economic structures.

“For a combined 24 years, they either individually or collectively failed to address the root causes of poverty. Instead, they engaged in rent-seeking, sold national assets to cronies, and indulged in corrupt, wasteful spending,” the statement alleged.

The party singled out Amaechi, noting he had spent nearly a quarter-century in public office but allegedly left little impact.

“When Amaechi says, ‘I am hungry,’ it is not hunger for public service but a veiled admission of his desire to return to the corridors of power and state largesse,” Morka said.

Critics or Reform Opponents?

Morka claimed that President Tinubu’s economic reforms have disrupted long-standing systems of patronage, making it difficult for “displaced political elites” to thrive.

“Their criticism of Tinubu’s reforms is not born of concern for Nigerians but of anxiety over the collapse of an exploitative system that enriched them at the nation’s expense,” the party added.

He also alleged that Atiku and Peter Obi benefited from the former system, accusing them of resisting change because “it threatens their special interests.”

2027 Elections Will Be a Referendum – Atiku

In a swift rebuttal, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, through his media adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, said the 2027 elections would serve as a referendum on President Tinubu’s performance.

“It’s obvious this government was never prepared to govern. They’ve prioritised politics over performance, and Nigerians are bearing the brunt,” Ibe told Vanguard.

He criticised the Tinubu administration’s progress, citing as an example the completion of just 30 kilometres of a 700-kilometre highway in two years, a feat he described as “an absurd celebration of mediocrity.”

Ibe also pointed to worsening living conditions, saying Nigeria now holds the unenviable titles of the world’s poverty capital and Africa’s leader in child malnutrition.

“People are struggling to eat. This year, even the tradition of buying rams for Eid is fading—many families are pooling money just to afford one,” he lamented.

‘Atiku Is Not Desperate for State Funds’

Dismissing the APC’s allegations of financial desperation, Ibe said Atiku’s wealth predated his political career and that his current efforts are motivated by public interest, not personal gain.

“Atiku is a self-made businessman who’s invested his own resources into campaigns and created jobs through his ventures. Unlike his critics, he is not scrambling to reclaim access to state funds,” Ibe stated.

He urged the APC to focus on governance rather than its “unhealthy obsession” with Atiku.

“With the clock ticking down on their tenure, they’d be better served addressing the needs of Nigerians instead of tracking Atiku’s every move,” Ibe said, adding that the next election “will be between Tinubu and the rest of Nigeria.”