APC Thanks Nigerians for Enduring Hunger and Hardship, Backs Tinubu Amid Soaring Poverty

 

Abuja, Nigeria —

Nigerians grappling with widespread hunger, unemployment, and skyrocketing living costs woke up to a startling message on June 12: the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has thanked them for enduring the very hardship that has become a daily reality under President Bola Tinubu’s government.

As the nation marked the 2025 Democracy Day, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, issued a statement that many citizens found jarring. Rather than offering a roadmap to relief or acknowledging the escalating despair of the average Nigerian, the party instead chose to praise the people for their patience through what it called “transient difficulties.”

This declaration comes at a time when millions can barely afford basic food items, the naira continues to lose value, and discontent brews across states. The contrast could not be more vivid — while top political elites enjoy security, perks, and foreign medical trips, the masses are being urged to “stand firm” and “endure” a suffering they did not choose.

The APC’s statement, issued from the comforts of Abuja’s power corridors, reaffirmed its support for President Tinubu’s economic policies — reforms that have resulted in fuel subsidy removal, volatile inflation, and a battered workforce. Yet, according to Morka, these measures are essential steps toward “tackling national challenges at their roots.”

“Democratic governance remains the best solution to Nigeria’s challenges,” the statement reads. “We commend Nigerians for their patient support of President Tinubu’s administration and for enduring the transient difficulties faced.”

This expression of gratitude — while perhaps well-intended — struck many as a painful reminder of the disconnect between Nigeria’s ruling class and its citizenry.

Market women in Kano, traders in Onitsha, and civil servants in Osogbo have all voiced one thing in common in recent weeks: hardship is no longer just a phase; it’s a daily struggle. People skip meals, parents pull children from school due to inability to pay fees, and young people leave the country in droves in search of greener pastures.

Yet the APC lauds President Tinubu as a “bold reformer” and a “visionary leader,” praising policies that, according to Morka, have “secured improved minimum wage, access to student loans, and better healthcare.” On paper, perhaps. But for many Nigerians, these supposed achievements remain abstract ideas, not lived realities.

The government’s announcement of increased federal allocations and financial autonomy for local governments has done little to trickle down to communities where roads remain death traps and primary healthcare centers sit idle.

Democracy Day, typically a time to reflect on Nigeria’s journey from military dictatorship to civilian rule, became instead a day for many to question what that democracy has delivered. While Morka celebrated the freedoms democracy affords — the right to vote, freedom of speech, the rule of law — citizens across social media were left wondering how free a person truly is when they are unable to eat.

The most jarring part of the APC’s message was perhaps its tone — self-congratulatory and seemingly detached from the searing pain being experienced by the people it claims to govern. To tell citizens to “endure” is to imply that they have a choice — when in reality, they have none.

As elites enjoy state-funded comfort, foreign medical trips, and exclusive access to power and privilege, ordinary Nigerians are asked to wait for the economic rebound that seems forever on the horizon.

While the APC insists that President Tinubu is building a brighter future, millions remain stuck in the dark of worsening conditions. For many, Democracy Day 2025 will not be remembered for speeches or ceremonies — but for the chilling realization that the government expects them to suffer in silence.