The Presidential Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Felix Morka, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s record on campaign promises, arguing that Nigerians should assess his performance at the end of eight years in office.
Morka made the remarks during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday while responding to questions about Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promises, particularly his pledges to tackle poverty and hunger, create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
He argued that campaign promises involving long-term development objectives should not be judged as outcomes that must be achieved within a few years.
“When a president or anybody who is campaigning for office gives, you know, campaign speeches and sets objectives, they are liable to progressive realisation. They are not an event,” Morka said.
He maintained that Tinubu had not promised to eradicate poverty within a specific period during his campaign.
“The president never told you that in the first month or 100 days of my government or in the first two years or three years, I’m going to eradicate poverty. You didn’t say that in what you just read out. So, you know, let’s frame this in proper perspective,” he said.
Morka also cited the constitutional provision allowing elected presidents to serve a second four-year term, arguing that the period provides an opportunity to continue implementing policies and reforms.
“There’s a reason the constitution gave every elected president the possibility of a re-election. Four years in the first instance and a possibility if the citizens, the electorate decide to re-elect that president to serve another four years. There’s a reason for that,” he said.
According to him, the first four years provide time for a president to understand the challenges facing the country and establish a direction for addressing them, while a second term offers an opportunity to build on the initial efforts.
“You know, it’s because, you know, four years, first of all, is a period to, you know, first profile, understand, create your pathfinders to what you’re doing. And then to do that in the second, to make people agree with you that you have started,” Morka said.
When asked when Nigerians should expect Tinubu to fulfil his campaign promises, including creating one million jobs in the digital economy and introducing policies to stimulate employment through industrial development, Morka challenged the interviewer over the demand for a timeline.
“I am surprised you’re asking me to give you a timeline. You were the one who came to say this president has not met or fulfilled the promises he made. You’re the one that said the time was too short,” he said.
He added that Tinubu was seeking another four-year term to complete the work his administration had started.
“You know, so when you ask me for a timeline, you know, the timeline actually for the president to finish the job he has started, you know, which is why he’s asking for, you know, another term of four years. At the end of eight years, you can, you can come here and have this conversation,” Morka said.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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