The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a sharp rebuke against former Minister of Transport and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, describing his recent comments on the high cost of living in Nigeria as “irresponsible and unpatriotic.”
In a statement, released by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC accuses Amaechi of attempting to incite unrest among Nigerian youth.
Morka criticized the former River State Governor’s remarks, claiming they were provocative and intended to incite Nigerians against the current administration.
“From the lavish comfort of his ‘proverbial glass house,’ Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi… berated Nigerian youth for not protesting ‘high cost of living’ in the country to his morbid satisfaction,” Morka said.
The APC described Amaechi’s comments as “insensitive, god-awful, and unpatriotic,” given his extensive political career, during which he served as a two-term Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a two-term Governor, and a two-term Minister of Transport.
“For almost all of his adult life, Amaechi has been a leechy dependant on state resources, a voracious beneficiary of official patronage, and a leading participant in the generational devastation of our country’s economy,” Morka stated.
The statement also questioned Amaechi’s integrity, referring to his allegations that those in power “steal money.” The APC challenged the former Transport minister’s claims by asking, “If those in power ‘steal money’ as Amaechi mischievously alleged, how come he can’t afford ‘to buy diesel’ barely two years after ‘stealing’ for over 24 years in power as Speaker, Governor, and Minister?”
The APC did not limit its criticism to Amaechi alone but extended it to other opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
“The only real anger that Amaechi and his fellow tribesmen of naysayers of the likes of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, must feel is that they are not in the saddle of government today,” the statement said.
The party emphasized that the current economic challenges faced by Nigerians were a result of necessary reforms by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which they believe will yield long-term benefits.
“Nigerians are highly perceptive, discerning, demure, and mindful that economic discomforts associated with the administration’s inevitable reforms are transient and will pale into insignificance in comparison to the enduring transformative dividends which are already beginning to manifest,” Morka asserted.
The APC urged Nigerians to reject what it called “Amaechi’s call to anarchy” and to remain patient as the government works on economic transformation. “Weaponizing protest and exploiting citizens’ economic discomfort for selfish political objectives, as these partisan tribesmen are doing, is irresponsible and decidedly unpatriotic,” Morka declared.
The party concluded by calling on Nigerians to continue supporting President Tinubu’s efforts to revitalize the nation’s economy. “We urge Nigerians to dismiss the call to anarchy by Amaechi and his partisan tribesmen and to remain patient and continue to support President Tinubu’s bold effort to transform our country’s economy once and for all,” the statement concluded.
The comments from the APC reflect the rising political tensions in the country, as opposition figures increasingly criticize the government’s handling of economic issues.
