The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka, has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has outperformed every democratically elected Nigerian president during their respective first terms in office.
Morka made the claim during an interview on Channels Television while defending the performance of the Tinubu administration and its economic policies.
According to the APC spokesman, Tinubu’s performance surpassed that of former Presidents 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.
When asked to identify the indicators supporting his claim, Morka pointed to developments in the Nigerian economy, arguing that the economic indicators were evidence of the administration’s performance.
“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 what he described as failures of previous governments, particularly the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party administration at the federal level.
He, however, defended the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a transitional government that prevented the country from sliding further into crisis 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, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange regime.
He argued that the reforms had helped reposition the Nigerian economy despite the hardship they initially created for citizens.
Morka said the impact of the reforms was becoming increasingly evident, including among some Nigerians who had previously criticised the administration’s policies.
According to him, Nigeria had recorded significant progress at the macroeconomic level under Tinubu.
“We have come out of the woods at the macroeconomic level,” he said.
The comments come amid continued debate over the performance of the Tinubu administration, particularly the impact of its economic reforms on households and businesses.
Tinubu assumed office in May 2023 after winning the 2023 presidential election and has since implemented major economic policy changes aimed at reducing government spending pressures, attracting investment and stabilising the economy.
While the Federal Government and the APC have continued to highlight improvements in key economic indicators, opposition parties and critics have maintained that the reforms have imposed significant pressure on Nigerians through rising living costs and reduced purchasing power.