Tinubu not solely responsible for poverty, hardship, hold Govs, LG chairs responsible – APC

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka, has argued that many of the factors driving multidimensional poverty in Nigeria fall within the responsibilities of state and local governments rather than the Federal Government.

Speaking on a television programme, Morka said public discourse often places excessive blame on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for poverty-related challenges, despite the constitutional roles assigned to subnational governments.

According to him, indicators used to measure multidimensional poverty, including access to potable water, basic healthcare, sanitation and other essential social services, are largely managed by state and local governments.

Morka noted that following the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, a substantial share of the additional revenue generated has been allocated to states and local government councils, giving them greater capacity to address poverty and improve living conditions.

He argued that Nigeria’s tendency to focus almost exclusively on the President stems from the country’s history of centralized governance under military rule, a mindset he said has persisted even under democratic administrations.

“A lot of the factors that contribute to multidimensional poverty are not really the responsibility of the Federal Government,” Morka said.

He maintained that issues such as water supply, primary healthcare, sanitation and other basic social amenities, which significantly influence quality-of-life assessments, fall within the jurisdiction of state and local governments.

The APC spokesman stressed that while the Federal Government remains an important driver of national economic policies, subnational governments must also be held accountable for delivering services that directly affect citizens’ welfare.

Morka added that the increased allocations received by states and local governments since the subsidy removal should translate into improved public services and stronger efforts to reduce poverty across the country.

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