Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has knocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for criticising President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day speech, describing the opposition as a frustrated party seeking relevance.
PDP had in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, berated Tinubu for allegedly making false claims of achievements in his 64th Independence Day speech.
The opposition party claimed that Tinubu’s speech exposed the ruling APC’s insensitivity to the struggles of Nigerians.
PDP described Tinubu’s speech as a “complete waste of time,” stressing that it failed to address the pressing economic and security issues currently plaguing the country.
In his national broadcast on Tuesday morning, the president stressed the need for reform to ensure Nigeria’s progress and prosperity.
He warned against continuing with business as usual, which he claimed could lead to the country’s collapse.
Tinubu stated that upon taking office 16 months ago, his administration had prioritised reforming the economy and defence architecture in light of the nation’s challenges.
Reacting, PDP slammed the speech for its failure to acknowledge the difficulties faced by millions of Nigerians, including economic hardship, unemployment, and extreme poverty.
“The 64th Independence Day speech by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is another lethargic and windy rhetoric of false performance claims and empty promises,” the opposition party said.
It further accused the APC government of being insensitive to the public’s suffering, asserting that the speech further confirmed their position that hope for improvement under the current administration was bleak.
PDP criticised Tinubu’s assurances of micro-economic improvement and lower living costs, arguing that these claims were inconsistent with the reality of rising fuel prices and unemployment.
It urged the president to take a more hands-on approach, suggesting he visit markets or engage with youth in urban areas to better understand the citizens’ true circumstances, rather than relying on fabricated statistics provided by his officials.
However, APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said that PDP’s reaction stemmed from its frustration over the ruling party achieving what they could not.
“For the PDP, rather than burying their heads in shame, they claimed the president’s speech is empty.
“What the PDP should understand is that since their departure from the political scene, sanity has returned to Nigeria, and peace has been restored to the country and to Abuja, the seat of power.
“Since the PDP left office, the situation has improved day by day under the APC government.During the PDP’s time, there was no peace in Abuja, making it difficult for a sitting president to address the nation from Eagle Square.
“Under an APC-led Federal Government, Nigerians are experiencing peace of mind. Therefore, the PDP’s reaction to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s speech is nothing but an afterthought; they are merely reacting because they see what they failed to achieve being accomplished by the APC government. By the grace of God, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will move Nigeria forward,” Ibrahim said.
