February 02, (THEWILL) – A Few days after a political conference on the future of democratic governance in Nigeria took place in Abuja, the keynote speakers and the Federal Government have been engaged in a war of words.
The two-day conference themed, ‘Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity,’ held on Monday in Abuja. It was organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, the Centre for Democracy and Development, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa and the National Peace Committee.
While it attracted politicians, academics, the media and civil rights groups, as well as other stakeholders, key political leaders whose views dealt with ongoing reforms and policies of the Federal Government became the centre of attraction, attacks and counter attacks.
Among them are the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 General election, Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. El-Rufia and Amaechi are members of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC. El-Rufai is currently at the centre of ongoing coalition talks being hosted by the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
THEWILL recalls that Amaechi drew the ire of the government when in an interview with Igbere TV last October, he lamented the soaring cost of living, rising fuel prices, and the worsening economic situation, questioning why Nigerians remained largely passive.
“I expected more agitation, especially from the youth. I thought we would see protests in the streets, but people seem too calm despite the economic hardship, he said, adding that, look at what happened in Edo State—should any politician be campaigning there now? Some of us can’t even afford diesel anymore because it’s so expensive. But despite this suffering, there Is no real pushback from the public.”
The Federal Government at the weekend felt it had taken enough of the statements credited to the trio and decided to address them one after the other.
It condemned recent remarks by Amaechi, warning that it “will not tolerate any form of subversive rhetoric that seeks to undermine national unity or incite lawlessness.”
At the Abuja confab, Amaechi had charged Nigerians to be prepared to defend their mandate in the forthcoming 2027 General Election, insisting that politicians will do whatever it takes—including stealing, maiming and killing—to remain in power.
The former Rivers governor, who spoke at the Abuja national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, further cautioned that no Nigerian politician would freely relinquish power without a fight. He recalled how the APC secured victory in the 2015 presidential election, attributing it to the party’s determination to go the extra mile.
According to him, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat not out of goodwill but because APC was ready to defend its mandate. He urged Nigerians to adopt similar measures in future elections.
He said, “You complain, you rant, but how many of you can actually defend your votes? The only reason Ibrahim Shekarau became governor was because people lined up and defended their votes. This is the same thing that happened in Ghana before that country’s last election. Two days before the poll, many of us were called to intervene because the people were ready to risk their lives to ensure the right candidate won.
“You sit there, abusing everybody. Nobody in power will voluntarily hand it over—not even me. If you want a pastor as president, go and get one. In Nigeria, politicians are in power to steal, maim and kill to remain there. If you think Tinubu will just hand it over, you’re wasting your time.”
Reacting to the former Rivers State governor’s recent remarks, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, described the comments as “inflammatory”.
According to Henshaw Ogubike, the ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Matawalle cautioned Amaechi against misleading young Nigerians.
He warned that security agencies were on high alert and warned all those considered making ‘inflammatory” statements. “Any individual or group found inciting violence or attempting to destabilise this nation will face the full force of the law,” the minister said.
“It is both reckless and dangerous for a former public office holder to make such inflammatory remarks. At a time when the government is working tirelessly to consolidate national unity and security, no responsible leader should be fanning the flames of violence and political unrest. We will not tolerate any form of subversive rhetoric that seeks to undermine national unity or incite lawlessness. This government will not fold its arms and allow any individual to disrupt the peace and stability of Nigeria”, he added.
On his part, the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai has been having a back and forth argument with the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, since the Abuja confab.
“I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show. You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today. The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them. The distance between me and the party is widening”, El-Rufai said at a national conference in Abuja.
In his reaction, Bwala urged el-Rufai to halt his “vengeance mission” and returned to the APC, saying his criticism of Bola Tinubu’s government was not borne out of patriotism, but the need for vengeance.
Bwala criticised El-Rufai, interrogating his integrity by probing his view when he asked if his opinion about the APC would have changed if he had remained in Tinubu’s government.
“My senior brother, if you were to be in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples. It is a government you participated in its formation that you now want to unseat”, Bwala asked.
But El-Rufai, responding to Bwala, said he would have said and done the same if he were a member of Tinubu’s administration. He reminded Bwala, who was until his recent appointment by Tinubu an ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, that he began his public service in 1998.
“Good morning, @BwalaDaniel. I was a cabinet minister 22 years ago and it was clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government. If I had remained in the Tinubu government, I would have said or done the same on the tragedy within a party I was a founder of, and the government that emerged from it — first in private sessions with those concerned and then go public if no remedial actions are taken. Go and check my public service record from 1998″, he said.
Bwala, who is also a former spokesman for Atiku Abubakar 2023 presidential campaign organisation, also replied to El-Rufai, questioning the motive behind his actions and statements.
Bwala, in a second statement on X on Thursday, said, “My worry, however, is the motive behind your statements and actions; they are not borne out of patriotism, but the need for vengeance. The opposition sees that singular element of vengeance as a veritable tool for your recruitment.
“With respect, I am not a latter-day Asiwaju supporter. We both played our roles in his emergence as candidate of the party, ahead of the 2023 elections.
“And before then, while you were from the CPC extraction of APC, I was from the ACN, which explains why I worked with Comrade Oshiomhole when he chaired the party, amongst other things, to protect the interest of Asiwaju, whom at the time you people vowed to retire from politics.
“Our party, APC, as of today, remains the only organised party with identifiable structures across the country. So if you are looking for any symbol of democracy, it is still in your party. Please senior, come home; you have toiled all night.”
As a panellist at the Abuja conference, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had alleged that the Bola Tinubu’s administration paid a N50m bribe to opposition parties to weaken their leadership ahead of the 2027 election.
He said, “I want to make this public. I met with leaders of a political party in the opposition, and they openly admitted that this government gives them N50 million each.”
In his reaction, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, described Atiku’s allegation as ‘simply bogus and laughable.’
According to him, peddling rumours and unsubstantiated allegations were signs of desperation by the former VP.
“Atiku’s allegation that the APC-led administration was paying out N50m to some opposition figures is simply bogus and laughable. Atiku knows that his political desperation is responsible for the PDP’s catastrophic disintegration.
The governing party’s spokesperson then took on the trio of El-Rufai, Atiku and the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi.
Morka said, “The bizarre suggestion by opposition figures like Atiku, Peter Obi, and recently, aggrieved leaders like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that our great party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties is pitiful, and only an incompetent alibi for their crass failure to manage their affairs.
“They cannot govern their parties but tout their ability to govern Africa’s most populous country. We cannot possibly forget how Atiku’s PDP heavy-handedly captured most South-West states and vowed to remain in power for 60 years.”
Media Adviser to Atiku, Mr Paul Ibe reacted to Morka’s statements, almost immediately.
Ibe said It was an irony, “most bitter that a man who once rose to prominence on the back of civil activism and the call for democratic renewal has now found himself in opposition to the very ideals that birthed his political career. This shift from proponent to adversary of multi-party democracy is both tragic and dangerous.”
According to him, Atiku’s “prophetic warnings” have already begun to manifest.
Ibe said his principal was among the first to call attention to President Tinubu’s plans to populate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with members of his own political party, the APC. Today, the nation bears witness to this very scheme unfolding before our eyes.
Atiku, he further said, also raised the alarm over the president’s blatant conflict of interest, particularly with regard to the awarding of lucrative contracts to companies with direct ties to his family. He cautioned the nation against the authoritarian tendencies of the Tinubu administration, warning that it sought to suppress fundamental human rights by charging protesters with treason — a tactic eerily reminiscent of repressive regimes of the past.
“These warnings, though dismissed by some at the time, have proved prescient as each one materializes into a clear pattern of authoritarian behaviour by the current administration.
“Now, the opposition parties find themselves fighting for survival, infiltrated by fifth columnists who have been planted within their ranks, ensuring that no party— whether APC or opposition — remains capable of functioning independently of the president’s whims.”
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
