Former vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, Salihu Lukman, has criticized the ruling party for attributing recent protests in Niger and Kano states to the opposition. Lukman, in a statement on Wednesday, deemed it dishonest for the APC to shift blame, asserting that the party is no longer maintaining its progressive facade.
The protests, sparked by concerns over the escalating cost of living and food inflation, disrupted commercial activities and aggravated traffic in both states on Monday. Responding to the protests, the APC spokesperson, Felix Morka, accused opposition political parties of sponsoring the unrest. Lukman, however, expressed disappointment in the party’s response, emphasizing that the situation validates concerns raised as far back as August 2023.
“The protests in Minna and Kano confirm the validity of the concerns raised as far back as August 2023,” Lukman stated. “Sadly, six months after those concerns were raised, the situation is only getting worse as prices of food items are beyond the reach of most Nigerians.”
As a dedicated member of the APC, Lukman found it disheartening that such challenges persist under the party’s leadership. He criticized the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Felix Morka, for issuing what he termed a “very dishonest statement” blaming opposition parties for the protests. Lukman further asserted that the party leadership has lost credibility, and their political utility value needs to grow.
“The statement issued by Mr. Felix Morka… points to only one thing: that the leadership of our party has completely lost it, and at this rate, their political utility value is zero. This clearly suggests that even the old pretenses about being progressive have been thrown to the dogs,” Lukman lamented.
The former vice chairman attributed the economic challenges to the decision to “float” the naira without curbing unnecessary imports. He argued that allowing the naira to fluctuate against major currencies without simultaneously addressing import-related issues contributed to the ongoing economic decline.
“Floating the naira against other major currencies without taking the needed steps to reduce imports will also produce what we have today, whereby the value of the naira is permanently on a downward slide,” Lukman explained.
He emphasized the importance of the government addressing these issues to prevent further escalation of the cost of living. Lukman contended that when the government fails to address the economic challenges, citizens are compelled to take to the streets to demand necessary action, highlighting the value of democracy in such circumstances.
“Once the government is unable to settle these issues, it is predictable that the cost of living will continue to go up. Once prices of necessities are beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians, citizens will respond in the streets to compel our leaders to do the needful. This is the value of democracy,” Lukman concluded, suggesting that protests might be the catalyst for the Bola Tinubu administration to focus on addressing the real issues at hand.
