Leave The Comfort Of The Presidential Villa And Visit Communities Across The Country -APM Challenge Tinubu
In order to confirm his administration’s assertions that Nigeria’s economic and security conditions have improved, the Allied People’s Movement has challenged President Bola Tinubu to leave the comforts of the Presidential Villa and travel to local communities and marketplaces throughout the nation.
In a statement released on Wednesday by its national publicity secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the opposition party called the president’s assertions “illusory,” claiming that they run counter to the realities that millions of Nigerians face as they deal with rising living expenses, insecurity, and financial hardship.
The criticism came after President Tinubu reportedly told the clerics during a recent meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria that his administration had stabilized the economy and moved the nation out of what he called “bankruptcy and the dark tunnel of uncertainty.”
The APM responded by accusing the president of giving reputable religious leaders a false impression of the state of the nation while Nigerians are still struggling financially.
The party said it was regrettable that the administration was allegedly “forum shopping” to present a favorable image rather than recognizing the problems facing the nation and looking for more comprehensive solutions.
The statement said, in part, “The APM holds that making such false claims to spiritual leaders of the status of Catholic bishops is the height of contempt for the sensibilities of both the respected bishops and Nigerians in general, at a time when millions of Nigerian families are sinking deeper into abject poverty and terrorists are having a field day killing, maiming, and kidnapping citizens across the country.”
The party also contested the president’s assertion that the economy had recovered, claiming that current economic data revealed Nigerians’ suffering was getting worse.
The APM claims that the government’s claim that the economy was improving was at odds with rising poverty rates, rising living expenses, and rising public debt.
The party questioned how Nigerians could be persuaded of an economic recovery when the elimination of fuel subsidies and the ensuing spike in gas prices had increased the cost of food, transportation, education, healthcare, rent, and other necessities.
The party questioned, “How can President Tinubu think that any Nigerian, let alone clergymen who are in constant contact with the suffering masses, will believe his claims that the economy is improving?”
Regarding security, the APM claimed that insecurity had persisted in endangering lives and livelihoods throughout the nation and accused the administration of failing to take decisive action against terrorism and other violent crimes.
