By Rapheal

Copyright thesun

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former vice president, Atiku Abubakar of plundering, looting the treasury, enthroning corruption and profligacy as state policy while in office and instigating anarchy against the incumbent government.

The ruling party, while frowning at the statement credited to Atiku on Monday, described it as a new low, in a recent streak of incendiary commentaries and warned that instigating violent uprising is not a protected freedom, adding that violence is never a desirable or acceptable mode of democratic engagement.

It also accused him of sounding a false alarm about “hunger and insecurity”, noting that he dismissed the transformative reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, and likening Nigeria’s situation to circumstances that justified historic violent revolutions and uprising in France, Russia and the Arab Spring.

APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in a statement, equally claimed that Atiku and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) democratised hunger and poverty in the country.

It further alleged that while garbed as a critique of the economic policies of President Tinubu-led administration, Atiku’s statement is nothing short of a tacit instigation of a revolution in Nigeria.

“His statement was reckless, irresponsible, unbefitting and degrading to his status as former Vice President. As a two-term Vice President, Atiku and his PDP, at the time, had the opportunity, backed by humongous oil revenues, to eradicate hunger, poverty and insecurity.

“Atiku and his PDP failed to do so. In fact, they made absolutely no impression against hunger, poverty and insecurity in Nigeria. They governed for 16 years, did not and could not eradicate hunger, poverty and insecurity in Nigeria. Instead, Atiku and his PDP democratised hunger and poverty in our country. They plundered and looted our treasury, and enthroned corruption and profligacy as state policy.

“Atiku and his PDP cemented the sordid foundations of hunger, poverty and insecurity that President Tinubu is battling courageously and relentlessly to defeat, with growing success,” Morka noted in the statement.

While reacting further, the ruling party claimed that: “As Vice President, Atiku was clueless about solving Nigeria’s economic challenges. As a forever-presidential aspirant, he remains eminently clueless about what it takes to tackle our country’s economic challenges.”

“Atiku’s confession to the looting of $16 billion meant to provide electricity to Nigerians, under his watch as vice president, is a stark reminder of his record of incompetent and failed leadership. Now out of power, Atiku thinks himself as possessing knowledge and capacity he so miserably lacked when he had the opportunity to govern as Vice President.

“That is utterly delusional. Nigerians know this and it is the reason they have serially rebuffed his attempts to be president. Nigerians are on standby to deal Atiku, hopefully, a full and final rejection in 2027.

“Blinded by desperation, tormented by President Tinubu’s impressive and inimitable strides, distraught by an unrealized presidential ambition, disoriented by anxieties of a far faded political future, Atiku has become incapable of objective, reasoned and rational assessment of the state of our rebounded and stable economy, now set to secure growth and deliver prosperity for our nation.

“That Atiku’s disturbing statement was made on a day when all news platforms had headline reports of consistent lowering of inflation numbers, at a period when all vital economic indicators are looking up and pointing in a positive direction, shows clearly that he is out of touch with the reality of the benefits now flowing from the administration’s transformative Renewed Hope economic reforms.

“Atiku must know that instigating anarchy is not legitimate or justifiable opposition politics. It is wrong, irresponsible, unpatriotic and unacceptable. While critique of the administration’s economic policies is within the opposition’s democratic freedom, instigating violent uprising is not a protected freedom. Violence is never a desirable or acceptable mode of democratic engagement.

“Atiku should know better and refrain from the use of inflammatory language capable of stoking violence and undermining the peace and safety of Nigerians. His duty to country must trump his desperate and inordinate presidential ambition.” Appealing to Nigerians to disregard his claims, APC noted: “We trust Nigerians to ignore Atiku’s inciting statement as self-serving, anti-democratic and a threat to the peace, unity, interest and progress of our dear country.

“Atiku hardly resides in Nigeria and will not be available to partake in the attendant pain, destruction, mayhem and desolation that the revolution he is instigating will bring. We must guard our God-given liberties and not lend them to be sacrificed at the pleasure of Atiku’s political ambition.

“We urge Nigerians to remain steadfast in support of President Tinubu’s administration as it continues in its unyielding efforts to build a nation of our collective dream,” APC said.