The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has outperformed every democratically elected Nigerian president during their respective terms in office.
Morka made the assertion in an interview with Channels Television, where he defended the performance of the Tinubu administration and its economic policies.
The APC spokesman said Tinubu had surpassed the records of previous democratically elected presidents, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.
“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 said.
Asked to identify the indicators supporting his claim, Morka pointed to the state of the Nigerian economy, arguing that the administration’s economic performance demonstrated its achievements.
“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 attributed the economic challenges inherited by the Tinubu administration to shortcomings under previous governments, particularly the 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule at the federal level.
He, however, defended the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, which succeeded the PDP government in 2015, saying it prevented the country from deteriorating further before Tinubu assumed office.
“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.
“President Buhari served his term, did his job to hold the country still for President Tinubu to enter.”
The APC spokesman also defended the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, arguing that the policies had helped reposition the economy following the difficulties inherited by the government.
He said the impact of the reforms was becoming increasingly evident, including among some Nigerians who had previously criticised the administration’s policies.
Morka maintained that Nigeria had recorded progress at the macroeconomic level under Tinubu, arguing that the administration had moved the country away from what he described as severe economic difficulties.
“We have come out of the woods at the macroeconomic level,” he said.
His comments come amid continued debate over the performance of the Tinubu administration and the impact of its economic policies on Nigerians.
Tinubu assumed office in May 2023 after winning the 2023 presidential election and has since introduced major economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange regime.
