The recent deaths caused by stampedes during palliative distribution have sparked outrage across Nigeria, with political parties quickly turning the tragedy into a battleground. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly criticized the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for using the grief of the victims to score political points. APC’s spokesperson, Felix Morka, condemned PDP’s attempt to blame the current administration for the stampedes, labeling it an act of political opportunism. He reminded Nigerians that it was during the PDP’s time in power that a similar tragedy occurred, making their criticism of APC hypocritical.
The tragic stampedes, which occurred in multiple states including Oyo, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory, resulted in the deaths of several Nigerians, most of whom were part of the desperate crowd trying to access food aid. In the face of this national crisis, the PDP chose to shift blame onto the APC-led government, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of mismanagement. Rather than offering genuine condolences to the victims’ families, PDP politicized the event, turning a moment of collective mourning into a bitter political confrontation.
Felix Morka, speaking on behalf of APC, slammed the PDP for their insensitivity. He described the opposition’s actions as “callous political chicanery” aimed at undermining the current government’s efforts to address the situation. According to Morka, the tragic incidents of stampedes should have brought the country together in sorrowful reflection on better ways to handle such situations, but instead, the PDP saw an opportunity to launch unprovoked attacks on the APC.
Morka also reminded Nigerians of the 2014 stampede that occurred under the PDP government during a recruitment exercise by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). The event, which took place at the Abuja stadium, left many job seekers dead and dozens more injured. Despite the scale of the tragedy, the PDP government at the time failed to provide adequate support for the victims and ensure better crowd control measures. This failure in leadership set the stage for public outrage and calls for accountability, but it also left a bitter legacy that APC feels the need to remind the public about.
Morka’s statement emphasized that the PDP’s accusations against the current administration were not only politically motivated but also hypocritical, given the party’s own mishandling of a similar situation in the past. He pointed out that while APC had inherited the consequences of nearly two decades of PDP rule, the current government was focused on fixing the damage left behind by its predecessor. He accused the PDP of failing to take responsibility for the consequences of its past actions, further tarnishing its credibility.
For APC, the priority should be addressing the structural issues that allowed such tragedies to happen in the first place. However, Morka’s statement suggests that the opposition party is more interested in political infighting than in seeking solutions. He argued that this blame-shifting, especially at a time of national tragedy, does nothing to help the victims’ families or prevent future incidents of a similar nature.
In the wake of the stampede crisis, the focus should be on improving the systems that govern aid distribution and public events. The lack of adequate planning, security, and coordination during palliative distributions is a reflection of deeper issues within the Nigerian political system. Rather than focusing on the immediate aftermath of the incident, both the APC and PDP need to look at long-term solutions to prevent such tragedies in the future.
While the APC and PDP are locked in a political struggle, the real victims in this situation are the Nigerians who lost their lives in the stampedes. The country’s leaders must remember that these events are not just opportunities for political attacks but moments to reflect on how better governance can save lives. The ongoing political war is a reminder that, in Nigerian politics, personal ambitions often overshadow the real issues that affect the lives of ordinary citizens.
At the heart of this debate is the issue of governance. The APC has argued that the current government is focused on repairing the damage caused by previous administrations, while the PDP has tried to capitalize on the nation’s suffering to discredit the ruling party. What is lost in this battle for political supremacy is the fact that Nigerians continue to face difficult circumstances, and the loss of life in the recent stampedes is yet another indication of the need for systemic reforms.
The tragic deaths at the palliative distribution sites have shed light on the challenges the Nigerian government faces in responding to public crises. While political parties bicker over blame, the need for better planning, better resource allocation, and a more compassionate approach to governance becomes more urgent. It is a wake-up call for the entire political establishment to reassess its priorities and focus on the well-being of the people, not just political gains.
In the coming days, the Nigerian public will be watching closely to see if the ruling party and the opposition can rise above petty politics and work together for the common good. The families of the victims of the stampede deserve justice, and the country deserves leadership that puts the people’s welfare first. It remains to be seen whether either the APC or the PDP will prioritize the need for structural change over political point-scoring.
As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the true measure of leadership lies not in how well one can blame the other but in how effectively one can prevent future tragedies and build a system of governance that works for all Nigerians. The focus must shift from political accusations to the practical steps necessary to avoid such heart-wrenching events in the future.
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