PDP, LP Slams Tinubu’s New Year Broadcast — Calls It Empty, Deceitful and Void of Empathy

In the aftermath of President Bola Tinubu’s recent New Year address, contrasting reactions emerged from PDP and LP opposition parties who slammed his address as empty, deceitful, and void of empathy.

Tinubu, in his New Year broadcast on Monday, stated that all decisions he has made are for the well-being of the nation. While he promised to implement a new living wage for workers and fast-track power projects, among other promises made, he also encouraged Nigerians to remain resolute despite their challenging circumstances.

“Dear Compatriots, take this from me: the time may be rough and tough, however, our spirit must remain unbowed because tough times never last. We are made for this period, never to flinch, never to falter,”  Tinubu said

Reacting to his statement, PDP dismissed the speech as deceitful and empty with false claims and promises, while the LP pointed out its lack of empathy towards citizens.

 In a statement in response to Tinubu’s broadcast, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said Tinubu’s speech was unpresidential, uninspiring, and was a waste of valuable time as it failed to address any of the critical issues plaguing the nation, such as insecurity, dilapidated infrastructure, dormant manufacturing, inflation, naira devaluation, unemployment, and poverty.

He also highlighted the absence of empathy for the Plateau State massacre victims and accused Tinubu of making false claims, stating that it’s utterly disrespectful to Nigerians for the President to boldly claim that every action he’s taken, such as approving a significant fuel price hike, devaluing the naira leading to increased costs, favouring luxury expenses in the budget without clear economic revival policies, engaging in extravagant foreign trips, and neglecting the urgent issue of nationwide killings, is somehow beneficial for the nation.

“President Tinubu ought to have used the opportunity presented by the New Year to apologize to Nigerians and marshal out steps to address our national challenges, including those responsible for the exiting of multinational manufacturing companies and other businesses from our country. 

“What Nigerians demand of President Tinubu is to provide a comprehensive account of our nation’s earnings, including the proceeds from the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, especially in the face of allegations that the earnings are being diverted to private pockets,” Ologunagba added.

While the PDP spokesperson said these, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement on Monday,  said that the speech conveyed to Nigerians the high level of hypocrisy, deceit, and lack of empathy which has become the guiding principle of the All Progressives Congress administration which Tinubu leads.

LP also noted that it is depressing that the President and his handlers did not offer any word of solace for the families of the 200+ people massacred on Christmas Eve in Plateau State.

Echoing the PDP’s sentiments of the president’s failure to address critical issues, LP stated that the President’s helplessness in the face of his glaring failure to address issues of insecurity, decayed infrastructure, the collapse of the manufacturing and productive sectors, inflation and the Naira to Dollar exchange rate which is spiralling out of control is written all over the speech.

Questioning the President’s statement, LP asked, “How does his ill-advised decision on fuel Subsidy removal without a plan to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians translate into an action taken in the national interest?

“Of what benefit were the millions of the nation’s dwindling foreign reserves frittered away under the guise of attending the climate change summit in Dubai to Nigerians?”

“How do we begin to repair the damage being done to our democratic institutions such as the Judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC among others by the APC Administration?”

LP concluded by calling on the National Assembly to look beyond party lines and ensure the Constitution is always upheld.

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