The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has taken the All Progressives Congress (APC) to task for how it reacted to reports that former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi was finding it hard to pay for his late mother’s medication.
Phrank Shaibu, who serves as Director of Strategic Communications for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, called the APC’s statement, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, “a display of political cruelty,” and charged the ruling party with exploiting a family’s grief for partisan mockery.
Shaibu made this known in a post on his X platform on Sunday.
He argued that Morka’s attack on Amaechi overlooked the bigger problem of Nigerians who cannot afford healthcare, food, and other basic needs.
“If Rotimi Amaechi says he struggled to afford his mother’s medication, the humane response is compassion. The political response is to ask why millions of Nigerians are also being priced out of medicines, food, and basic necessities,” he said.
The ADC campaign spokesman also took issue with Morka for calling Amaechi a “loafer” in reference to his supposed financial troubles after leaving public office.
Shaibu said the remark reflected what he characterized as the APC’s stance towards Nigerians enduring economic hardship.
“Nigerians who cannot afford treatment, keep the lights on, or travel safely on their roads are not loafers. They are citizens living through the consequences of a government that has failed them,” he said.
He condemned the Tinubu administration over the state of the economy, roads, electricity, security, and public welfare, alleging that Nigerians were experiencing worsening hardship.
“The reality is plain: the roads are bad, the economy is bad, electricity is bad, security is bad, and the welfare of the people is bad,” Shaibu said.
He called on the APC to give an explanation for what he called the deplorable state of roads nationwide, especially in the South-East.
“Instead of sneering at Amaechi, Morka should explain why Nigerians face dangerous journeys on roads meant to connect communities and support trade,” he said.
Shaibu claimed that the poor state of roads in certain areas of the South-East had made getting around increasingly hard, and he asked how much longer Nigerians would have to put up with unsafe travel.
He further took the Federal Government to task over public spending, contending that despite higher expenditure, many Nigerians still lacked affordable healthcare, dependable electricity, and safe roads.
“The APC cannot boast about trillions in public spending, while Nigerians lack safe roads, reliable electricity, and affordable healthcare,” he said.
