All Progressives Congress (APC) issued a scathing rebuttal to Professor Pat Utomi’s comparison of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, labeling it “reckless, irresponsible, and insensitive,” as stated by APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka in a press release reported by TheCable and Daily Post. Utomi, a political economist and former Labour Party (LP) stalwart, had likened Nigeria’s political climate to fascist conditions during the virtual launch of his Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government on May 5, criticizing Tinubu’s policies, particularly the fuel subsidy removal, as exacerbating poverty and silencing dissent, per Platform Times and Punch. Morka argued that Utomi’s freedom to announce a shadow government without repercussions demonstrates the Tinubu administration’s tolerance of opposition, stating, “Utomi has enjoyed and continues to enjoy his fullest constitutional right to think, say and act as he chooses,” per TheCable.
Morka described Utomi as a “poster child of freedom” whose serial failed political ventures, including his 2019 APC Delta governorship bid and support for Peter Obi’s 2023 LP campaign, have clouded his judgment, per MobilePunch on X. He asserted, “Utomi’s partisan disorientation… has clearly taken a huge toll on the erudite Professor’s political judgment,” mocking his “dead on arrival” mega-party initiatives, per Daily Post. The APC refuted Utomi’s claim that the subsidy removal was poorly planned, noting that both Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Obi campaigned on similar policies, a fact Morka called undeniable, not propaganda, per TheCable. Utomi’s shadow government, comprising opposition figures like Dele Farotimi and Cheta Nwanze, aims to scrutinize Tinubu’s policies and propose alternatives, but the APC dismissed it as an “aberration” in Nigeria’s presidential system, per Legit.ng.
X posts reflect polarized sentiment: @MobilePunch on May 9 reported the APC’s condemnation, with @A__Sadik suggesting Utomi’s remarks rattled Tinubu’s camp, per, while @Morka2Felix praised Tinubu’s tolerance of dissent, per. Critics like @Imranmuhdz on May 7 noted Utomi’s history of challenging Tinubu, including 2022 calls for medical transparency, per ThisDayLive, as evidence of consistent opposition, per Premium Times. Supporters, per @MobilePunch, celebrated recent APC defections as proof of Tinubu’s “visionary leadership,” per TheCable. Utomi’s coalition, backed by APC and PDP defectors, targets 2027 to unseat Tinubu, citing economic hardships like 24.23% inflation and northern discontent, per Punch and The Street Journal. The APC’s sharp response underscores Nigeria’s tense political climate, with Utomi’s provocative analogy fueling debate over democratic freedoms and governance, though his critics argue it risks sensationalism over substance, per TheCable.
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