The All Progressives Congress has defended President Bola Tinubu’s record on poverty reduction, saying he did not commit to eliminating poverty within a specific timeframe.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated this during an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday while responding to questions about the President’s campaign promises ahead of the 2023 general election.
Tinubu had pledged to address poverty and hunger, create employment opportunities and stimulate economic growth.
However, Morka argued that such development objectives require time and should be assessed as part of a long-term process rather than judged against short-term deadlines.
“When a president or anybody who is campaigning for office gives campaign speeches and sets objectives, they are liable to progressive realisation. They are not an event,” he said.
The APC spokesman maintained that Tinubu never promised to eradicate poverty within his first few months or years in office.
“The President never told you that in the first month or 100 days of my government, or in the first two years or three years, I’m going to eradicate poverty,” Morka said.
He urged Nigerians to consider the broader context of the administration’s promises when assessing its performance.
Morka also defended the possibility of a second term for the President, citing the constitutional provision that allows an elected president to seek re-election for another four years.
According to him, the first term provides an opportunity for a president to understand the country’s challenges and establish policy directions, while a second term allows the administration to consolidate its efforts.
“There’s a reason the Constitution gave every elected president the possibility of a re-election. Four years in the first instance and a possibility, if the citizens, the electorate, decide to re-elect that president to serve another four years,” he said.
When questioned about when Nigerians should expect the fulfilment of campaign pledges, including the proposed creation of one million jobs in the digital economy, Morka challenged the demand for a specific timeline.
“I am surprised you’re asking me to give you a timeline. You were the one who came to say this president has not met or fulfilled the promises he made,” he said.
He argued that the administration needed more time to complete its programmes, noting that Tinubu was seeking another four-year term.
“At the end of eight years, you can come here and have this conversation,” Morka added.
