- Says He Has Outperformed Every Democratically Elected President
- Ezekwesili: Tinubu Has Achieved Macroeconomic Stability
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrown fresh fuel into the political debate over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s performance, declaring that he has “outperformed” every democratically elected president in Nigeria during the first term.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, made the explosive claim on Monday during an interview with Channels Television, insisting that the economic indicators were enough to prove the administration’s performance.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has outperformed any president in his first term. He has outperformed any democratically elected president in this country in their terms,” Morka declared.
Pressed on the indicators backing the sweeping assessment, Morka invoked a Latin legal maxim, arguing that the evidence was self-evident.
“The indicators are res ipsa loquitur as we say in law; they speak for themselves. This president inherited an economy that was completely in a mess,” he said.
Morka blamed successive administrations for the country’s economic woes, while taking a swipe at the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was essentially a bridge between the alleged failures of the PDP era and Tinubu’s presidency.
“Buhari was a stopgap president that really came to keep the country from tipping over the precipice — from 16 years of horrific maladministration of the PDP government,” Morka said.
He added: “President Buhari served his term, did his job to hold the country still for President Tinubu to enter.”
The APC spokesman further claimed that Tinubu’s reforms had taken Nigeria through a dramatic economic turnaround, saying the administration had reached the point where even some of its critics were beginning to acknowledge its achievements.
Morka maintained that Nigeria had “come out of the woods” at the macroeconomic level, attributing the development to policies implemented by the Tinubu administration.
However, he did not provide specific comparative figures or indicators to substantiate his assertion that Tinubu had outperformed every democratically elected president in their respective terms.
The claim comes amid continued political arguments over the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms since he assumed office in 2023.
The APC-led government of Buhari governed Nigeria from 2015 to 2023 before Tinubu, also elected on the APC platform, succeeded him.
Morka’s comments are therefore likely to intensify the battle over the administration’s record, with the opposition and critics expected to challenge the APC’s sweeping assessment of Tinubu’s performance.
In a related development, former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has made progress in stabilising Nigeria’s economy, particularly in reducing volatility in the foreign exchange market.
Ezekwesili, who also previously served as minister of solid minerals, attributed the relative stability in the naira to the government’s adoption of market-driven foreign exchange policies.
Speaking in an interview on News Central Television, the former minister said the administration had recorded some success in restoring macroeconomic stability, describing it as an important development in efforts to address Nigeria’s economic challenges.
She, however, noted that the gains from the reforms had yet to translate fully into improved living conditions for many Nigerians, with the high cost of living continuing to place pressure on households.
Ezekwesili said that while progress in stabilising major economic indicators was important, the government must also prioritise policies that boost productivity, create employment opportunities and improve household incomes.
“The only thing that, as I said at the beginning, we can give to them is that they are getting a handle on macroeconomic stability. So, for example, the volatility we have with foreign exchange rate is quieter because they are abiding by market principles for foreign exchange policy,” she said.
The former minister also stressed that inflation data and other economic indicators should not be viewed separately from the experiences of ordinary Nigerians.
According to her, achieving sustainable economic growth would require addressing deeper structural challenges limiting productivity and expanding economic opportunities for citizens.
Ezekwesili’s comments come amid ongoing discussions over the impact of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and the changes introduced to the foreign exchange regime.
The federal government has maintained that the reforms are necessary to rebuild the economy, attract investment and establish a more sustainable economic system.
