Former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his national broadcast on the nationwide protests, saying that the broadcast is empty, dull, hollow and disrespectful to protesters who are on the streets to draw his attention to his poor economic policies.
According to Atiku, Tinubu’s speech has highlighted his poor management style, disregard to the yearning of the people and clear failure to grasp the ugly unfolding situation that has forced people to the streets.
Atiku stated this a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, and made available to journalists on Sunday.
The former Vice President also claimed that Tinubu’s speech simply failed to address the hardship of Nigerians.
He said, “President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast this morning, intended to quell the fervour of public protests against his administration’s poor governance, utterly misses the mark,” Atiku further said that the broadcast “neglects the pressing economic hardships that have besieged Nigerian families since the very beginning of his tenure.”
He said the presidential address lacked credibility and failed to offer any immediate, tangible solutions to the Nigerian people.
Atiku said, “Given the extensive publicity surrounding the protests and the threats issued by government officials against demonstrators, one would have expected President Tinubu to present groundbreaking reforms, particularly those aimed at reducing the exorbitant costs of governance.
“But no such announcements were made. The President ignored the protesters’ demands, such as suspending the purchase of aircraft for the President, downsizing his bloated cabinet, or even eliminating the costly and burdensome office of the First Lady, who has been indulging in extravagant trips at the nation’s expense.
“In his lacklustre recorded speech, President Tinubu offered a superficial account of his so-called reforms, revealing his own tenuous grasp of policy as he failed to convince his audience.
“While the President has spoken, it is unfortunate that his words lack substance and respect for the protesters’ sentiments, leaving Nigerians with little faith in his reform agenda – if one exists at all.”
The former Vice President urged the President and his team to “own up to their failures over the past 14 months and abandon the absurd theory that the protests are orchestrated by the opposition.”
Atiku also said that the administration has “failed on all fronts, even in the simple task of keeping a presidential speech confidential.”
He said, “Typically, presidential addresses are shared under embargo with media houses. However, the premature leak of this speech, allowing Nigerians to read along with the President in real-time, starkly illustrates the media nay Nigerians’ dwindling confidence in this administration.”
The PDP presidential candidate then said, “The opposition did not create the economic quagmire we find ourselves in; this disaster is solely the result of the Tinubu administration’s trial-and-error policies. It is high time they stopped the blame game and faced the reality of their failures.”
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