The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has placed the blame for the current challenges facing Nigeria squarely on President Bola Tinubu. The opposition party also criticized what it termed an “empty” and “bereft of ideas” 63rd Independence Day address by the President.
PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, issued a statement on Sunday in which the party expressed its concerns. Ologunagba stated, “Our party invites Nigerians to note that President Tinubu’s speech has left no one in doubt that the APC administration has no plans, capacity, and competence to handle the crucial and urgent task of governance; which is clearly beyond its managerial faculty.”
The PDP further lamented the “manifest unpreparedness and hasty implementation of ill-planned policies” by the current APC administration, which it argued had led to a “catastrophic economic failure” and immense hardship for Nigerians.
Regarding President Tinubu’s announcement of a welfare package, the PDP criticized the amount, describing it as “miserable.” The President had announced a monthly payment of N25,000 for six months for low-grade workers while also expressing aspirations for Compressed Natural Gas buses.
In response, the Director of Publicity of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bala Ibrahim, dismissed the PDP’s accusations and shifted the blame back to the PDP for Nigeria’s economic challenges. He stated, “No one should take what the PDP said seriously. This is because we are where we are today as a result of the PDP mismanagement when they were in power.”
Ibrahim argued that President Tinubu’s address demonstrated a genuine concern for the country and an effort to alleviate the hardship faced by some Nigerians. He also suggested that the PDP was still grappling with the reality of its electoral defeat.
The exchange of statements reflects the ongoing political tensions and disagreements between the PDP and APC in Nigeria, with each party blaming the other for the country’s economic and governance challenges.