The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent presidential media chat, accusing it of further highlighting the insensitivity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to the widespread suffering and hardship Nigerians are facing. The PDP stated that the current economic difficulties are the result of the poorly implemented and anti-people policies of the APC.
In a statement issued by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the opposition party expressed that the chat only reinforced the disconnect between President Tinubu and the struggles of ordinary Nigerians. The PDP challenged the President to travel by road from Abuja to Lagos and visit local markets to get a better understanding of the hardship being experienced by the citizens.
Ologunagba further condemned President Tinubu’s remarks, particularly his lack of regret for the sudden removal of the fuel subsidy, which has caused significant economic pain. He pointed out that the President did not offer any measures to cushion the effects of the fuel price hike, which has severely impacted the productive sector, escalated the cost of living, and pushed many Nigerians deeper into poverty and distress. Ologunagba accused the APC administration of being out of touch with the primary duty of government, which is to ensure the welfare and security of the people.
The PDP also expressed concern that in his media chat, President Tinubu admitted that Nigerians are suffering because of the government’s failure to secure the country’s borders, leading to the smuggling of petroleum products to neighboring nations. Despite this admission, the party said that the APC had failed to account for the savings from the subsidy removal, leaving Nigerians to endure worsening economic conditions due to the government’s inability to secure the nation’s borders.
Ologunagba also criticized President Tinubu’s claim that the economy had improved under his leadership, pointing out that the situation had only worsened. He noted the collapse of the productive sector, the plummeting value of the Naira (which has reached N1,700 to the US Dollar), the high inflation rate of 34.6%, and a 40% unemployment rate over the last 18 months. He also mentioned the tragic food stampedes that recently resulted in the deaths of around 80 Nigerians, highlighting the perilous state of the nation under APC rule.
The PDP expressed disappointment that the APC government had failed to make meaningful investments in key sectors such as agriculture, food production, electricity, petroleum and gas, and small and medium enterprises, which are crucial for driving the national economy.
Additionally, the PDP took issue with President Tinubu’s assertion that Nigerians could now travel safely by road, citing the ongoing issues of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and the deteriorating condition of the country’s highways under the APC.
The PDP urged President Tinubu to personally travel from Abuja to Lagos by road, visit markets, or walk through any Nigerian city to experience the real situation for himself, rather than relying on the government’s distorted statistics.
