Felix Morka, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, should take a break from his ambition to become Nigeria’s president.

On Monday, Abubakar said the growing hunger across the country, mostly affecting the poor, is deplorable.

He compared Nigeria’s situation to France before the 1789 revolution, Russia before the 1917 Bolshevik uprising, and the Arab Spring.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election also linked the #EndSARS protests to frustration, hunger and government indifference.

“The masses of Nigerians are progressively wallowing in misery and poverty under the watch of the Tinubu-led APC administration,” Abubakar said.

He added that nearly two years into the Bola Tinubu government, there are still “no manifest signs” that hunger and poverty are being addressed.

“Reforms must have a human face and prioritise citizens’ welfare. Whatever reform the Tinubu government might claim to be undertaking, the point remains that food insecurity is a daily occurrence nationwide,” he said.

Speaking in an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a Channels Television programme, Morka said Abubakar’s criticism was driven by desperation for power.

“Nigerians are watching. I don’t think Nigerians are paying attention to what he says because they know why he says them,” Morka said.

“He is desperate for power. He thinks that by vilifying governments and making false statements Nigerians will wake up tomorrow and make him president.

“Nigerians have rejected him so many times. I don’t think Nigerians are even considering making Atiku president.

“He served Nigeria as he did. Today, he has become, quite frankly, irrelevant to any consideration of prosperity to the future of our country.”

Morka added that Nigerians would reject Abubakar again if he contests in the 2027 presidential election.