Tinubu’s speech diversionary, insensitive, says PDP; as Inibehe Effiong labels it a collection of empty words
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed Sunday’s national broadcast by President Bola Tinubu as diversionary and insensitive to the plight of majority of Nigerians.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said this in a statement, in Abuja, on Sunday.
He explained that the president failed to address the real issues bothering Nigerians which is the high cost of living especially the rising cost of food items and the volatility of the local currency against major currencies which has made planning almost impossible.
Ologunagba said, “PDP asserts that the speech by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the on-going protests in the country clearly confirms the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration’s insensitivity towards Nigerians and the very precarious situation in the country.
“Our Party is appalled that despite the fact that it took President Tinubu the prodding of the PDP to speak to the nation, it is distressing that the speech failed to offer any concrete measure to address the excruciating hardship in the country.
“Mr. President’s speech failed to respond to the demand by the citizens for immediate measures to reduce the price of petroleum products, halt the fall of the Naira and urgent intervention in the provision of food items to starving Nigerians.
“It is equally shocking that the speech did not order an investigation into the brutal killing of unarmed Nigerians by certain unscrupulous operatives of the APC-controlled security agencies while demanding for good governance, protection, security and welfare, which are the primary purpose of government.
“Instead, the speech dwelt on APC’s counter-productive action of disregarding the feelings and pains of the people by focusing on self-praise, claims of imaginary achievements and empty projections in the face of apparent and obvious failure of the APC in every aspect of governance.
“Such only reinforces public apprehension that the APC administration is uncaring and impervious to the suffering and pains of millions of Nigerians, particularly the youths whose dreams, hope and aspiration are being dashed by the APC.
“It is clear that the APC administration is overwhelmed and has no answers to the myriads of problems occasioned by its anti-people policies that are suffocating life in the country.
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“The APC must admit failure and be willing to accept alternative views and suggestions at this moment recognizing that what Nigerians need now is solution and not rhetoric.
“Our Party calls on President Tinubu to come to terms with the fact that the nation is in dire straits under his watch. He should address the demands of the people particularly to reduce the cost of petroleum products, stabilize the Naira and take immediate steps towards the provision of food items to Nigerians.
“President Tinubu should cut the size of governance, expenditure on luxury items and free more resources for immediate intervention towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.”
Speech, a disconnect from reality – Inibehe Effiong
Similarly, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has described President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday broadcast to Nigerians as a disconnection from reality and a failure to address the protesters’ demands.
Effiong further stated on his X page that the president’s speech was a collection of empty words and irrelevant content.
In his address, President Tinubu ruled out the return of the fuel subsidy, contrary to the demands of the protesters.
In response, Effiong stated that great leaders make sacrifices for their country, while terrible leaders like Tinubu only sacrifice the country for their own interests.
Effiong’s response read: “President Tinubu’s speech is a collection of empty words and irrelevant content. It confirms my long-held view that we are dealing with a political class that is intentionally deaf and willfully blind to the sufferings and yearnings of Nigerians.
“This President is disconnected from the reality of the everyday Nigerian. He’s living in an imaginary Nigeria that exists only in his mind. The speech could not have been more meaningless or aimless. Those who wrote it, and Mr. Tinubu who read it, have only succeeded in justifying the reasons for the nationwide protests.
“It is appalling that despite the events witnessed across the country in the last three days, the President did not address the specific demands of the protesters. A government is only useful if it serves the interests of the governed. This government is anti-people.
“Tinubu made no mention of electoral reform, no reversal of his harmful and devastating economic policies, and made no attempt to reduce the over-bloated size of his government. He made no concessions. This President, like despots, ignores the agitations of the masses. Great leaders make sacrifices for their country, but terrible leaders like Tinubu only know how to sacrifice the country for their own interests.
“It is not his voice that people wanted to hear; they wanted him to speak directly to their demands. His call for dialogue is in bad faith. He did not address the mindless killing of protesters by security agencies in any meaningful way, nor did he set up any credible machinery for purposeful dialogue.
“Tinubu is preoccupied with the ridiculous idea that the protest is being sponsored by his political adversaries. This provocative arrogance by Nigerian politicians will one day be ended by Nigerians, one way or another.”