A fiery political showdown is unfolding as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar trade accusations over Nigeria’s economic woes and the 2027 presidential elections, with both sides drawing sharp battle lines ahead of what’s being called a defining political reckoning.
Atiku, through his media aide Paul Ibe, declared on Monday night that the 2027 general elections would serve as a referendum on President Bola Tinubu’s leadership. The former VP blasted the APC-led government for celebrating the completion of only 30km of a 700km highway in two years, describing the administration as wasteful and unprepared for governance. He said Tinubu’s tenure has plunged the nation deeper into poverty, with Nigeria now leading the world in child malnutrition and holding the title of the “poverty capital of the world,” citing data from UNICEF and the World Bank.
The APC swiftly fired back, releasing a stinging statement through its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka. He accused Atiku, ex-Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai of being desperate political actors “united by hunger” and a craving to reclaim state power for personal gain. Morka’s attack followed comments made during Amaechi’s 60th birthday lecture on May 31 in Abuja, where he admitted, “We’re all hungry,” and hinted at the opposition’s readiness to challenge Tinubu in 2027.
Morka called the trio “displaced rent-seekers clinging to fading relevance,” saying they misused their combined 24 years in power without addressing poverty or fixing Nigeria’s structural economic problems. He described their criticisms as hypocritical, accusing them of wasteful governance, state-sponsored violence, and economic sabotage.
Ibe countered that Atiku’s critics were intimidated by his integrity and business success. “Atiku was a wealthy businessman before democracy returned in 1999. He invested in job creation and ran issue-based campaigns with his own funds. He’s not like those clinging to state funds for survival,” he stated. He also urged the APC to stop obsessing over Atiku’s political moves and focus on fixing Nigeria.
Morka doubled down on the party’s defense of Tinubu’s controversial economic reforms, including the floating of the naira. He argued that past administrations, particularly under the PDP, promoted a rent-seeking economy that discouraged productivity and rewarded import dependency. “Atiku and Peter Obi are attacking reforms that threaten the systems they exploited to build their wealth,” Morka alleged.
The political storm underscores rising tensions ahead of the 2027 election. Ibe insisted the contest would pit Tinubu’s underwhelming record against the hopes of millions of Nigerians demanding competent leadership. “They may control the narrative now, but the people will speak loudly in 2027,” he said, framing the battle as one between Tinubu and “the rest of Nigeria.”
