On Monday, 4 August 2025, the All Progressives Congress (APC) issued a formidable press statement in Abuja, sharply rebuking former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s recent outburst against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, CON, labelled El-Rufai’s rhetoric “infantile politics” and accused him and his African Democratic Congress (ADC) allies of hypocrisy, entitlement and an utter absence of constructive alternatives.
Presented in full for publication, the statement not only chronicles the ADC’s alleged missteps but also sets out detailed indicators of what the ruling party describes as “verifiable progress” under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
From Ministerial Snub to Political Clown
Morka opened the statement by tracing El-Rufai’s “speedy fall from commanding heights to the political clown he has become” following his unsuccessful bid for a ministerial appointment.
He recounted El-Rufai’s appearance at an ADC rally in Sokoto on 2 August 2025, where the ex-governor accused the Tinubu administration of being “incompetent, clannish and undeserving of a second term.”
The APC demanded a “forensic study” of El-Rufai’s motivations, arguing that his personal disappointment had spiralled into vindictive public attacks.
“Since his failed ministerial overture,” Morka said, “Mallam El-Rufai has descended into a tailspin of baseless headline-seeking and petro-political vendettas that add nothing of substance to national discourse.”
Hypocrisy on Fuel Subsidy and FX Reform
The statement highlights that all three principal 2023 presidential candidates—Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi—had campaigned on platforms pledging the removal of fuel subsidies and the harmonisation of multiple foreign-exchange windows.
Morka reminded Nigerians that Tinubu was the only candidate to fulfil that pledge immediately upon inauguration, whereas his critics, now furious at the reforms, have offered no alternative plan.
“If El-Rufai truly detests these reforms,” the statement asks, “why has he not offered to restore the ruinous subsidy era or multiple FX regimes—and crucially, how does he propose to finance the yawning fiscal deficit such policies would create?”
3. Economic Indicators: Progress or Propaganda?
In a bid to rebut charges of “failed leadership,” the APC laid out a series of macroeconomic achievements it attributes to Tinubu’s policies:
Inflation has moderated from peaks above 28% in late 2023 to around 22% by mid-2025, marking the third consecutive month of decline.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.1% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, supported by a robust services sector and resurgent industrial output.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index recorded a 28% year-to-date gain by July 2025, placing Nigeria among the top five best-performing equity markets in Africa this year.
Oil production rebounded to nearly 1.8 million barrels per day in H1 2025, reversing declines caused by pipeline vandalism and crude theft.
Consistent trade surpluses, driven by non-oil exports and agricultural exports, have improved the country’s external reserves.
Morka claimed these data “flatly contradict the narrative of governance collapse peddled by El-Rufai and his ADC allies.”
Infrastructure on Overdrive
The APC’s statement celebrated what it termed an “infrastructure revolution,” with more than 420 federal road and bridge projects either completed or underway:
The long-awaited Second Niger Bridge, now fully operational, has slashed Lagos-Onitsha travel time by over two hours.
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, with its first 30 km commissioned in May 2025, is forging new economic corridors along the eastern coastline.
Revival of moribund projects in the South-East, including the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, underscores a commitment to regional inclusivity.
“These are not mere photo-ops,” the party insisted, “but transformative arteries set to drive commerce, agriculture and tourism.”
Military Modernisation and Security Strategy
Confronting rising security threats, the APC outline highlights a major overhaul of Nigeria’s aerial capabilities:
49 advanced aircraft—including attack helicopters, maritime patrol planes and light fighter jets—are contracted for delivery by 2026.
To date, the Nigerian Air Force has inducted T-129 ATAK helicopters for counter-insurgency and King Air 360i patrol aircraft to secure coastal and pipeline assets.
Additional acquisitions, such as Italian M-346 jets, are scheduled to arrive in late 2025.
Morka argued that such strategic investments dismantle the patronage-driven neglect evident under previous administrations.
Educational Financing with NELFUND
In April 2024, President Tinubu signed the landmark Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, establishing the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). By mid-2025:
Over 110,000 students had applied for interest-free loans to cover tuition and stipends.
Digital disbursement platforms ensure timely release of funds, reducing campus strikes and financial uncertainty.
The APC contrasted this with El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, during which Kaduna State’s own education infrastructure deteriorated and student protests were frequently met with force.
Sectarian Legacy of Southern Kaduna
The press release did not spare El-Rufai’s record in Southern Kaduna, attributing to his administration:
- The sponsorship of grazing-reserve policies that inflamed communal tensions.
- Demolition of homes and places of worship deemed “unauthorised,” compounding ethnic strife that claimed over 4,000 lives between 2011 and 2016.
- A debt stock of ₦284 billion left for taxpayers to service—confirmed by the Debt Management Office.
Morka declared:
“He who throws stones in glass houses should not be surprised when the shards reflect back.”
Warning Ahead of 2027: ADC’s Threat to Unity
Turning to the future, the APC cautioned that El-Rufai and Atiku Abubakar’s manoeuvring within the ADC amounted to a bid to upend Nigeria’s “presidential rotation principle,” designed to foster national cohesion by alternating the presidency between the North and South.
The statement recalled the 2023 PDP primary debacle—sparked by Atiku’s refusal to honour the zoning accord—which the party said “virtually cremated” its chances and fractured the national opposition.
“El-Rufai, Atiku and their hijacked ADC constitute a clear and present threat to Nigeria’s unity, peace and progress,” Morka warned, urging Nigerians to reject “tribal tantrums” and embrace continuity of reform.
In conclusion, the APC’s comprehensive press release leaves little doubt that the party intends to frame the debate ahead of the 2027 elections around tangible reform achievements versus “infantile” political vendettas.
By cataloguing economic indicators, infrastructure milestones, defence modernisation and social-welfare interventions, the APC stakes its claim to transformational governance—inviting Nigerians to decide whether they prefer “vision over vanity” in charting the nation’s course.
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