Tinubu’s independence speech highlights APC’s insensitivity to Nigerians, claims PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s 64th Independence Speech further underscored the All Progressives Congress’s insensitivity towards Nigerians.
In a statement on Tuesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba described the speech as a complete waste of time.
Ologunagba noted that it failed to address or offer solutions to the numerous economic and security issues caused by the APC government affecting Nigerians.
In a national broadcast for Nigeria’s 64th Independence anniversary on Tuesday morning, President Tinubu emphasised the need for reform to ensure progress and prosperity, warning against continuing business as usual, which could lead to collapse.
He stated that his administration, upon assuming leadership 16 months ago, chose to reform the political economy and defence architecture due to the critical situation the country is facing.
The President stated, “We found ourselves at a dizzying crossroads, where we must choose between two paths: reform for progress and prosperity or carry on with business as usual and collapse. We decided to reform our political economy and defence architecture.
“Thanks to the reforms, our country attracted foreign direct investments worth more than $30 billion in the last year. We inherited a reserve of over $33 billion 16 months ago. Since then, we have paid back the inherited forex backlog of $7 billion.
“We have cleared the ‘ways and means’ debt of over ₦30 trillion. We have reduced the debt service ratio from 97 per cent to 68 per cent. Despite all these, we have managed to keep our foreign reserves at $37 billion. We continue to meet all our obligations and pay our bills. We are moving ahead with our fiscal policy reforms.”
In response, the PDP criticised the speech for failing to address the struggles of millions of Nigerians, highlighting concerns about emerging totalitarianism where a select few benefit from the suffering of the populace.
The statement read, “The Peoples Democratic Party describes the 64th Independence Day Speech by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as another lethargic and windy rhetoric of false performance claims and empty promises ostensibly scripted to delude Nigerians in the face of the abysmal failure of the All Progressives Congress administration.
“Nigerians are appalled that the President’s speech was a complete waste of time, as it did not address issues or proffer any solutions to the myriad of economic and security problems created by the APC government, for which Nigerians are suffering.
“President Tinubu has, through this speech, further confirmed the insensitivity of his administration towards the plight and demands of Nigerians, which clearly authenticates the PDP’s position that there is no hope in sight under the overtly clueless, insensitive, and unresponsive APC-led government.
“The failure of the speech to respond to the cries of millions of Nigerians for President Tinubu to ease their suffering by reviewing life-suffocating policies of his government also validates concerns in the public space about an emerging totalitarianism where certain individuals or groups benefit from the travails of the people.”
Ologunagba stated that it was shocking that the President’s speech allegedly downplayed the serious issues of widespread economic hardship, unemployment, extreme poverty, and hunger in the country—concerns that prompted Nigerians to protest in August.
“Equally appalling are Mr President’s irreconcilable assurances of microeconomic improvement, lower cost of living, and food sufficiency when, in reality, his administration has failed to lower the price of fuel—the key driver of our nation’s economy—failed to inject resources into the productive sector to boost employment, stem the slide of the Naira, and made no tangible investment in food production in any part of the country.
“The failure by Mr President to listen to Nigerians and reduce the price of fuel, create employment, and lift the value of the Naira by ending the profligacy in his government and directing resources to jumpstart our ailing productive sector shows that the APC administration is completely disconnected from Nigerians, especially the youth.
“Moreover, from the speech, it is clear that the APC-led administration is determined to stifle our nation’s democracy—the very foundation of any independent nation—as it remains loudly silent on the erosion of credible elections and the constant attacks on the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens in our country under its watch.
“Urging Nigerians to remain calm despite their disappointment, the PDP counsels President Tinubu to visit the markets or take a walk with the youth on the streets of any city in Nigeria to properly appreciate the real situation of the citizens rather than relying on fabricated statistics from officials of his government,” he added.
