The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) – yesterday clashed on the Monday’s protests over the rising cost of living.
The protests were in Minna, Niger States and Kano.
APC accused opposition political parties of masterminding the mass protests, adding that they were orchestrated to undermine the government.
But the PDP accused the ruling party of politicising the popular protests against hardship.
On Monday Niger State Governor Umar Bago said the protesters were mobilized to the venue to hijack lorry-loads of food items being brought from Lagos.
He added that those conveying the items changed the route thereby evading them.He also said the protest was politically-motivated.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was PDP presidential candidate in last year’s election, described President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies as a failure.
Two days ago, placard-carrying protesters blocked the Bida Road, Kpakungun in Minna, capital of Niger State. Protesting over high cost of living.
Some major streets in Kano were also taken over by those protesting the soaring prices of foodstuff, particularly rice, maize, beans and millet.
Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf said he would seek an audience with President Bola Tinubu over the hardship being experienced by his people.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morgan, said in a statement that the protests were instigated by the opposition to subvert the Tinubu administration.
Urging Nigerians to show understanding, he said the Federal Government was doing everything in its power to mitigate the transient pains of critically important reforms that are crucial to economic recovery and sustainable prosperity.
He advised them to ignore what he described as the guile and unpatriotic attempt by opposition elements to destabilize the country for their selfish interest.
Morka said: “In its arrant desperation to portray the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration as under-performing, opposition parties have resorted to instigating unsuspecting young people to protests in the streets of some major cities.
“The protests in Minna and Kano on Monday were the manifestation of this devious and unpatriotic plot. That the protests happened simultaneously in both cities is not coincidental. It bears the bold stamp of an orchestrated and coordinated effort to instigate unrest and undermine the government. This mercenary opposition tactic is a clear and present threat to public peace and national security.
“While we recognize the right of citizens to engage in peaceful protest, we urge our good people to be vigilant and not lend themselves to the treacherous attempt by the opposition to promote social strife by its incendiary rhetoric and manipulative plots.”
He added: “The President Bola Tinubu-led administration is solidly committed to doing everything in its power to mitigate the transient pains of critically important reforms that are crucial to economic recovery and sustainable prosperity for all Nigerians.
“It behoves us as good citizens of our beloved country to stand fast with our government in this noble stride. In due time, these policy reforms will yield an enduring beneficial transformation of the material conditions of life in the country.
“We implore Nigerians to shun the guile and unpatriotic attempt by opposition elements to destabilize the country for their base and parochial political gains.”
LP: Resolve problems
LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh said opposition parties were not responsible for the Monday protests.
He said the protesters were Nigerians bearing the brunt of “this administration’s ineptitude and lack of preparation for governance.”
Ifoh added: “Those who took to the streets in Minna, Niger State, a state controlled by the APC, went to the streets, not as members of opposition parties but as citizens bearing the brunt of this administration’s ineptitude and lack of preparation for governance.
“Irrespective of party affiliations, religious and ethnic creed, we all go to the same market where the prices of goods and services have skyrocketed.
“Our advice to the APC is for it to look for solutions to Nigeria’s problems, especially the economic ones it created instead of this propaganda.”
Don’t politicise protest, PDP warns
The PDP accused the APC of attempting to politicize the legitimate grievances of Nigerians.
It’s Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said in a statement that the Federal Government was pushing Nigerians into the wall.
The statement reads: “The APC is insensitive to the fact that because of its policies more than 104 million citizens have sunk deeper into poverty; Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals with families now going to bed on empty stomach as poverty rate soars to over 46%.
“Any government that has an idea of macro-economic policy management ought to have recognized that the suffocating policies of abrupt increase in the pump price of petroleum products, high cost of electricity and arbitrary floating of the Naira would have excruciating consequences.
“These policies by President Tinubu and the APC are responsible for the crippling of the productive sector, with 28% inflation rate, crashing of the Naira from N167 to over N1,500 to a Dollar, closure of millions of businesses and mass exodus of international companies from Nigeria, resulting to a distressing 41% unemployment rate and unbearable pressure on millions of families across the country.
“Today, thousands of our promising youths are leaving the country in droves.”
Atiku: APC, Fed.Govt politicising response to hardship
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar objected to the reaction of the Federal Government to his criticisms of its economic policies, saying that the response smacked of ignorance and lack of depth.
Atiku said in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, that President Tinubu’s economic policies have failed.
He also said that the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy betrayed a lack of understanding of the economic realities.
In the statement titled: “Presidency failed to provide a credible defence of Tinubu’s failures in tackling Nigeria’s economic challenges,” Atiku said his own manifestos-’My covenant with Nigerians-’ offered a clearly defined and robust roadmap for the socio-political and economic transformation of the economy.
The former PDP presidential candidate said “even if all the major candidates agreed that the fuel subsidy regime must end and that the multiple exchange rates must be fixed, this would not translate into endorsing Bola Tinubu’s failures in implementation.”
Atiku has grudges against Tinubu, says group
A group, Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), faulted Atiku’s criticisms, saying that he made deceptive generalisations.
The group said the former presidential candidate has personal grudges against the President.
IMPI Chairman Niyi Akinsiju said in a statement that Atiku has demonstrated a poor understanding of national issues.
The group compared Atiku’s first year as Vice President, during which he headed former President Olusegun Obasanjo economic team, with the first eight months of President Tinubu.
The group said: “In 1999 when Waziri Abubakar was sworn into office as Vice President and supposedly head of the economic team, the inflation rate was 6.9 per cent. But by 2000, that is a year after, it had risen to 17.8 per cent. That was about an 11 per cent increase.
“We noted that there was no policy on fuel subsidy removal at this time that could have possibly triggered this rapid increase in the inflation rate.
“We contrasted this to the 22.41 per cent inflation figure in May 2023 when President Tinubu was sworn in. The latest inflation figure is for December 2023 with the figure stated at 28.92 per cent showing about a 6 per cent increase.
“This is despite the twin policies of subsidy removal, the floating of the Naira and the large population the current administration has had to manage.”
“In addition, Waziri Abubakar had the added advantage of higher revenue to spend to ameliorate the economic conditions of Nigerians in that year, with earned revenue from mostly crude oil up to $15.81billion but did not reflect in the inflation figure of that year.
“In contrast, the President Tinubu-led administration has not generated up to $ 4 billion from crude oil sales from June 2023 to January 2024, yet, the administration has been managing the fallouts of the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the Naira against the background of a large population.
“While we do not contend that this is an exhaustive leadership comparative analysis template, it, however, enabled us to have a snapshot, in time, about the managerial and policy-making skills of the two personalities at issue here.
“We conclude that Waziri Atiku Abubakar under-performed in office, despite the resources available to him to manage. He cannot manage a resource-shortfall economy.
IMPI also said Atiku has questions to answer about his time in government
Rising inflation, a national threat, says NEF
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) urged the Federal Government to halt the rising inflation, which it described as a national threat.
The forum also said the cost of living has led to hunger and malnourishment.
NEF, in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said the situation required urgent action by the government.
He said: “Families are finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic necessities, as the prices of essential commodities such as rice, beans, and cooking oil continue to skyrocket. This dire situation has resulted in a rise in malnutrition, particularly among children, as families are forced to prioritize their limited resources.
“Moreover, the impact of inflation extends beyond the realm of food prices. Small businesses are struggling to survive as the cost of raw materials and transportation continues to rise. Unemployment rates is soaring as companies are unable to sustain their operations amid mounting expenses. This vicious cycle of inflation and economic decline is pushing our nation further into poverty and despair.
“In light of these challenges, we demand urgent measures from the government to address this crisis before it plunges the nation into greater conflict and chaos.”
