The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has praised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, claiming that the president has achieved more during the early years of his tenure than any other democratically elected Nigerian president did within a similar period.
Morka made the assertion on Monday during an interview with Channels Television, where he discussed the current state of the Nigerian economy and the policies implemented by the Tinubu administration since taking office in 2023.
The APC spokesperson argued that Tinubu assumed responsibility for a country facing serious economic difficulties. He described the situation inherited by the president as extremely challenging, insisting that the administration had been working to address problems that had accumulated over several years.
According to Morka, the economic performance of the current government should be assessed using available economic data and broader macroeconomic developments. He maintained that these indicators provide sufficient evidence of what he described as the administration’s achievements.
Morka stated that the available figures were capable of demonstrating the direction in which the Nigerian economy had moved under Tinubu. He argued that there was no need to rely solely on political narratives when assessing the government’s performance because, in his view, the economic data provided evidence of the changes taking place.
The APC official also attributed much of Nigeria’s previous economic difficulties to the policies and decisions of successive administrations. He specifically discussed the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a transitional period following the long period of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule.
Morka argued that Buhari’s administration inherited a country that had experienced what he characterised as years of poor governance under the PDP. He suggested that the former president’s role was largely to stabilise the country before handing over to the next administration.
According to him, Buhari completed his tenure and left the political and administrative structure in place for Tinubu to assume office in 2023.
Morka further defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, arguing that the policies introduced by the current administration had begun producing results despite the difficulties associated with implementing major changes.
He claimed that even individuals who had initially criticised the government were beginning to recognise some of the improvements recorded under the administration.
The APC spokesperson maintained that Nigeria’s macroeconomic situation had improved compared with the circumstances Tinubu encountered when he became president. He argued that the country had moved beyond some of the severe economic difficulties that previously threatened its stability.
However, Morka did not present detailed statistics or specific comparative figures to demonstrate how Tinubu’s performance measured against previous democratically elected presidents during their respective first terms.
His comments nonetheless reflected the position of the ruling APC, which has continued to defend the president’s economic policies and reforms amid criticism from opposition figures and sections of the public.
The government has faced public concerns over the impact of its reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and other measures that have contributed to increased living costs.
Despite these challenges, Morka insisted that the administration’s broader economic record should be judged by its long-term impact and available performance indicators rather than immediate difficulties.
He therefore maintained that Tinubu’s first-term performance had placed him ahead of previous elected presidents, describing the president’s economic record as evidence of significant progress.
