The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s 64th Independence Day address, calling it “lethargic and windy rhetoric” filled with false performance claims and empty promises. The PDP argues that the speech was a ploy to deceive Nigerians amid the glaring failures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the party expressed disappointment over the president’s failure to address pressing economic and security challenges plaguing the nation.
“Nigerians are appalled that the President’s speech was a complete waste of time as it did not address issues or proffer any solution to the myriads of economic and security problems created by the APC government, for which Nigerians are hurting,” he stated.
Ologunagba further claimed that the speech confirmed the insensitivity of the Tinubu administration towards the needs and demands of the populace, reinforcing the PDP’s stance that there is no hope under the current government.
He pointed out that the address ignored calls from millions of Nigerians for relief from life-suffocating policies, raising concerns about an emerging totalitarianism where only a select few benefit from the suffering of the masses.
He added, “It is indeed shocking that Mr. President’s speech practically trivialised the very grave issues of pervasive economic hardship, unemployment, acute poverty, widespread hunger, and starvation in our country—issues for which Nigerians took to the streets in August this year.”
The PDP leader criticised the president’s claims of micro-economic improvement and lower living costs, noting that fuel prices remain high, contributing to economic challenges. “The failure of Mr. President to listen to Nigeria to reduce the price of fuel, create employment, and lift the value of the Naira shows that the APC administration is completely disconnected with Nigerians, especially the youths,” he stated.
Additionally, the PDP accused the APC-led government of attempting to undermine democracy, citing a lack of attention to credible elections and attacks on the constitutional rights of citizens. The party urged Nigerians to remain calm despite their frustrations and advised President Tinubu to engage directly with citizens to understand their real situation rather than relying on inflated statistics from government officials.
