- Says APC has lost Steam
By Ken Afor
Mr. Salihu Lukman, a former vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the North-West, has categorically stated that the protests that erupted in Niger and Kano states were evidence that there is hunger in Nigeria.
Mr. Lukman, who made this known in a statement released on Wednesday, added that the protests were inevitable because the citizens could not afford the basic necessities for survival.
According to the development economist, protest, which is the right of the citizens, is one of the ways that compels the leaders to respond and do what is necessary.
It would be recalled that on Monday, some residents in Mina, Niger state, took to the streets to protest the high cost of living, as was also the case in Kano.
While the APC condemned the protest, accusing the opposition parties of masterminding the unrest, Mr. Lukman said that this would not have occurred if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had taken drastic measures to address the concerns raised in August 2023 following the unprecedented attacks on farmers by armed bandits in the northeastern part of the country, which hindered the production and supplies of critical food.
Armed groups killed more than 128 farmers and kidnapped 37 others across Nigeria between January and June 2023, according to the Nigerian Security Tracker. In June 2023, 19 farmers were killed by armed groups in Nigeria’s northern Borno State alone.
Given the government’s perceived level of insensitivity, Mr. Lukman, a former member of the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC), expressed regret that nothing has been done to address the hunger in the country. He condemned the party’s leadership for allowing the situation to deteriorate, stating that the APC has lost its political value entirely.
As quoted by the Vanguard, Mr. Lukman said, “The protests in Minna and Kano confirm the validity of the concerns raised as far back as August 2023.
“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.
“If the truth must be told, there is hunger in the land! As a committed member of APC, it is very depressing that this is happening under the leadership of our party.
“Even more depressing was the statement issued by Mr. Felix Morka, our National Publicity Secretary, alleging that opposition parties are behind the protests.
“For Mr. Morka to issue such a very dishonest statement 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.”
Regarding the current economic crisis and the floating of the Naira against other major currencies, the policy analyst criticized the decision by the federal government, stating that importation should have been reduced first.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
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