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Atiku Slams Tinubu’s Speech, Claims It Fails to Address Protesters’ Concerns
Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent address regarding the #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Atiku contends that Tinubu’s speech fell short of addressing the core issues raised by the demonstrators and failed to resonate with the broader Nigerian populace.
Atiku’s critique, delivered through a statement from his media adviser Paul Ibe, underscores the perceived deficiencies in Tinubu’s address.
According to Atiku, the President’s speech lacked depth and did not offer concrete solutions to the severe economic challenges that have plagued Nigerians since Tinubu assumed office.
The PDP leader argues that Tinubu’s response failed to inspire confidence in his administration’s ability to effect meaningful reforms.
He points out that the speech was marred by its premature leakage, which, according to Atiku, reflects a broader issue of diminishing trust in the current administration.
Atiku elaborates that Tinubu’s address was intended to quell the unrest stemming from public dissatisfaction with the administration’s governance.
However, Atiku believes the speech was insufficient, particularly in addressing the pressing economic difficulties faced by Nigerian families.
He criticizes the President for not presenting substantial reforms or practical measures to alleviate the economic burden.
The former Vice President notes that the President missed key opportunities to address specific demands from the protesters.
These demands included halting the acquisition of new aircraft for the President, reducing the size of his cabinet, and reconsidering the costly office of the First Lady, which has reportedly been engaged in extravagant activities funded by the public.
Atiku describes Tinubu’s speech as superficial, suggesting that it revealed the President’s weak grasp of the policy issues at hand.
He argues that the President’s words failed to convince the public and did not reflect a genuine commitment to addressing the protesters’ grievances.
Furthermore, Atiku criticizes the administration for its failure to manage the speech’s confidentiality, as evidenced by its early leak.
This incident, he argues, is emblematic of the broader loss of confidence in the government.
In his statement, Atiku emphasizes that the current economic crisis is not the result of opposition sabotage but rather a consequence of the Tinubu administration’s ineffective policies.
He calls on the government to cease the practice of blaming past administrations and to confront the realities of their own shortcomings.
Overall, Atiku’s response highlights a significant disconnect between the administration’s messaging and the public’s expectations for substantive change and accountability.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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