The Oyo State APC’s statement, as reported by Punch, is a masterclass in political bluster, heavy on ridicule, light on substance. Describing opposition leaders as “clownish characters,” “jesters,” and “palm fronds fixing a damaged vehicle” may satisfy the party’s base, but it does nothing to address the legitimate grievances of millions of Nigerians suffering under APC governance. Let us dismantle the APC’s claims one by one.
1. “They Lack the Wherewithal to Advance Democracy” – Democracy Requires Opposition
The APC claims the summit attendees lack the capacity to advance democracy. This is backwards. Democracy is not a oneparty parade. It is precisely the ability of opposition figures to meet, strategize, and present alternative visions that makes a democracy function. Calling such a gathering “clownish” reveals the APC’s authoritarian instinct: any organized dissent is treated as a joke or a threat.
If the APC truly believed in its own record, it would welcome opposition summits as opportunities to compare achievements. Instead, it resorts to namecalling. That is not confidence; that is fear.
2. “They Cannot Catch Up with Tinubu” – Tinubu Is Running a Marathon No One Asked For
The APC says Tinubu is “several kilometres ahead” in a marathon. But marathons have a course, and the course here is the wellbeing of Nigerians. On that measure, President Tinubu is clearly not ahead.
• Fuel price – from under N200 to over N700.
• Exchange rate – from N450 to over N1,500 per dollar.
• Inflation – over 33%, with food inflation even higher.
• Unemployment – still staggering, with no credible new jobs data showing improvement.
A “marathon” that leaves citizens poorer, hungrier, and more desperate is not a victory lap. If the APC wants to claim Tinubu is ahead, they should show us the finish line where ordinary Nigerians stop suffering. Until then, the opposition is not “behind” – they are pointing out that the race is killing the runners.
3. “Tinubu Travels at the Speed of Light” – In What Direction?
The statement bizarrely claims Tinubu “travels at the speed of light to outpace his opponents.” Let’s examine where that speed has taken us:
Policy Area
Tinubu’s “Speed”
Result
Subsidy removal
Immediate, without safety nets
Mass transportation cost explosion
Exchange rate unification
Abrupt, without transition
Naira collapse, business closures
Student loans
Launched late, limited reach
Minimal impact on current hunger
Security
Incremental changes
Kidnappings, banditry continue
Speed without direction is just chaos. The APC praises velocity while ignoring the crash.
4. “Makinde Is Naive and Deceitful” – Ad Hominem Avoids the Issue
The APC calls Governor Makinde a “naive and deceitful political player.” Even if that were true (and it is a partisan insult, not evidence), it does not invalidate the summit. The summit included Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Kwankwaso, Amaechi, Aregbesola, Pat Utomi, Jerry Gana, and many others, none of whom answer to Makinde. Attacking the host does not refute the guests’ arguments.
This is a classic distraction tactic: when you cannot answer the policy critique, attack the messenger’s personality.
5. “They Have Recorded Irredeemable Failures” – Pot, Meet Kettle
The APC says opposition figures have “irredeemable failures in politics and governance.” Let’s list some APC failures since 2015:
• Debt rose from about N12 trillion to over N87 trillion.
• GDP growth averaged barely 2% – below population growth.
• Insecurity spread from Boko Haram in the Northeast to banditry in the Northwest, kidnapping in the Southwest, and secessionist violence in the Southeast.
• Power grid collapsed multiple times.
• Refineries remained moribund for years despite billions spent on “turnaround maintenance.”
If the opposition’s failures disqualify them, then the APC’s failures disqualify the APC. The difference is that the opposition is not currently in power, the APC is. And the suffering happening today is on their watch.
6. “Operation Wetie Threat” – A Distraction from APC Violence
The APC mentions a supposed “Operation Wetie” threat from Makinde and claims it will not allow violence. This is rich coming from a party that has, in various states, been accused of using thugs to disrupt opposition rallies, co-opt electoral officials, and suppress voter turnout. Rather than preemptively accusing the opposition of violence, the APC should commit to free, fair, and peaceful elections, something it has struggled to deliver in offcycle governorship polls like Osun (2022) and Bayelsa (2023).
If the opposition is genuinely preparing for 2027 through summits and dialogue, that is the opposite of violence. The APC’s attempt to smear them as potential disruptors is baseless and cynical.
7. “Makinde Will Answer for Corruption” – Where Is the Evidence?
The APC claims Governor Makinde has “many cases of abuse of office and corruption hanging on his neck.” If true, why has no court convicted him? Why has no anticorruption agency (EFCC, ICPC) charged him? Accusations without prosecution are just propaganda. Meanwhile, the APC’s own governors and ministers have faced multiple corruption allegations, from humanitarian ministry scandals to aviation sector probes(Where is Nigeria Air?). Perhaps the APC should clear its own stable before pointing at others.
8. The Core Truth: The APC Owns This Economy
The most glaring omission in the APC’s statement is any acknowledgment that President Tinubu inherited a broken economy from another APC president – Muhammadu Buhari. The APC has controlled the federal government since May 2015. Every policy that led to today’s crisis, the accumulated debt, the neglected refineries, the deferred subsidy removal, the mismanaged exchange rate, was implemented or tolerated by the APC.
You cannot say “Tinubu inherited a mess” without adding “from his own party.” The APC wants Nigerians to believe that eight years of Buhari were a tragic accident, and now Tinubu is the hero. But the party cannot have it both ways. If the APC is responsible for fixing the economy now, they are also responsible for breaking it over the previous eight years.
The opposition summit is asking a simple question: Why should Nigerians trust the same political party that drove the car into the ditch to drive it out?
Conclusion: Insults Are Not Policies
The Oyo APC’s statement is a collection of insults, not arguments. It calls opposition leaders “jesters,” “palm fronds,” and “clowns.” It threatens vague consequences. But it never once defends Tinubu’s record on the cost of living, job creation, security, or poverty reduction, because that record is indefensible.
The opposition summit in Ibadan was not perfect. Its participants have their own flaws and ambitions. But the right to assemble, to critique, and to propose alternatives is the bedrock of democracy. Mocking that right does not make the APC strong, it makes them afraid.
If the APC is so confident, they should welcome the debate. Release the data on poverty reduction. Show us the jobs created. Prove that the “speed of light” is taking us somewhere good. Until then, Nigerians will continue to listen to anyone, even “clowns”, who offers a plausible path out of this pain.
And one final note to the APC: You cannot inherit from yourself. Own your failures. Fix the country. And let the opposition meet in peace.
– Oladayo Ogunbowale is Special Assistant (Communication) to Gov Seyi Makinde