NNPP, PDP Fires Back At APC Over Atiku’s Hunger Warning

The war of words between the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition has intensified with officials of the New Nigeria People’s Party and the Peoples Democratic Party slamming the reaction of the ruling party to the hunger warning by Atiku.

APC had on Monday branded Atiku’s warning about worsening hunger “reckless, irresponsible and a tacit instigation of revolution,” accusing him of stoking unrest to destabilise the Tinubu administration.

But opposition leaders said the ruling party was only trying to gag critics and deflect attention from Nigeria’s economic crisis.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Saturday with PUNCH Online, National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson said Atiku did nothing wrong in giving such a warning.

He said, “I do not think Atiku would be involved in inciting the Nigerian citizenry. As an elder statesman, I trust that he will not go that far. However, statesmen, when need be, must be bold enough to stand up and speak truth to power.

“They must be bold enough to tell the country what the situation of the country is, where things are lacking, and need improvement. I do not think that the APC should enjoy the luxury of simply trying to blackmail anyone who raises genuine fears about the situation of the country.

“If one says that there is hunger in the land and people are suffering, I do not think that has gone too far. If someone is warning that please do something as a government, it is just a warning. It is not a call to arms.”