The All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that President Bola Tinubu never promised to eradicate poverty in Nigeria within three years of assuming office, dismissing claims that his administration failed to meet such a deadline.

The APC National Publicity Secretary and spokesman for the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Felix Morka, made the clarification on Tuesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme.

Morka argued that Tinubu did not attach a specific timeline to his poverty-reduction objectives during the 2023 presidential campaign, stressing that campaign promises should be regarded as goals to be pursued rather than achievements guaranteed within a fixed period.

According to him, even some of the world’s wealthiest countries have yet to eliminate poverty despite decades of independence and governance.

“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 am going to eradicate poverty,” Morka said.

He maintained that the administration was working to address the fundamental challenges affecting Nigeria, urging critics not to conclude that the government had failed simply because all its campaign promises had yet to produce the expected results.

Morka argued that evaluating the administration solely on the immediate fulfilment of its promises would overlook the complexities of the country’s economic challenges and the time required to implement lasting reforms.

He also pointed to the four-year presidential tenure, with the possibility of re-election for another four years, as an opportunity for an administration to understand national problems, develop appropriate policies and implement its plans.

According to the APC spokesman, a president’s first term provides the opportunity to identify and address critical national challenges, while a second term, if secured through voters’ mandate, allows for the consolidation of policies and the continuation of ongoing programmes.

Morka’s comments come amid public scrutiny of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies and their impact on poverty, living costs and the welfare of Nigerians.