The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take responsibility for Nigeria’s economic challenges rather than blame previous governments.
The faction said Nigerians needed concrete measures to address rising food prices, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power, instead of what it described as attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress to evade accountability.
The PDP’s spokesperson, Jungudo Mohammed, stated this in a statement on Monday, responding to comments by Tinubu and APC spokesperson Felix Morka, who blamed the opposition party for the country’s hunger and poverty.
Tinubu had said on Saturday, during the APC’s presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, that his administration was working to eradicate hardship created by his political opponents.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger; they created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” the President said.
Morka also blamed the PDP for the country’s economic difficulties on Monday.
In response, Mohammed said the APC should explain how it intended to make food affordable, support farmers, strengthen local food production, create jobs, improve security, tackle corruption, boost electricity supply and reduce transportation costs.
He acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had recorded some achievements but rejected the use of the PDP’s 16 years in power, between 1999 and 2015, as a blanket justification for current economic difficulties.
According to him, recognising any genuine achievements of the present government should not be interpreted as an endorsement of all its policies or acceptance of attempts to shift responsibility to previous administrations.
Mohammed said Nigerians deserved answers about the APC’s performance after more than 10 years in power, urging the ruling party to outline specific measures for tackling the country’s economic and security challenges.
“After more than APC’s 10 years in office, Nigerians deserve answers, not excuses,” he said.
He added that political parties should be judged by their records, policies and commitment to public welfare rather than prolonged arguments over the performance of past administrations.
The PDP faction expressed confidence that Nigerians would assess the parties based on their ability to improve living conditions and provide greater security and economic opportunities.
“Our message to the APC is simple: stop the blame game and start taking responsibility. Nigerians deserve solutions, not excuses,” Mohammed said.
He urged Tinubu to account for his administration’s performance and present a credible path towards economic recovery, food security and an improved standard of living.
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