Opposition political parties have scored the administration of the ruling All Progressives Congress led by President Bola Tinubu low on delivery of good life to Nigerians, one year after mounting the saddle.
But the APC National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, disagreed with the opposition, which he labelled as a coalition of confused people.
“Since coming to power, President Bola Tinubu has given the country a direction in almost everything it needs. Nigerians are now beginning to reap the benefits of his foresight and good planning. In fact, testimonies from the people have shown that come 2027, Nigerians are not just going to vote for him. They will vote for him overwhelmingly,” Ibrahim claimed.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party described Tinubu’s first year in office as the most challenging in Nigeria’s history since the Civil War between 1967 and 1970.
The President, who took office on May 29, 2023, riding on his policy document tagged the Renewed Hope Agenda.
In a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP said Tinubu’s economic policies had worsened things for Nigerians.
Ologunagba said, “The PDP insists that the current rising insecurity, excruciating poverty, economic hardship and general despondency in the country necessitating the fleeing of thousands of Nigerians, especially the youths, from our nation further confirm that there is no hope in sight with the APC in the saddle.
“It is apparent that inflicting pain and misery on Nigerians remains the policy thrust of successive APC administration, which became heightened by the not well thought-out twin anti-people policies of removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira without due consideration for the citizens’ welfare and security.
“As if these were not enough, the APC administration continues in its anti-people policies in the arbitrary hike in electricity tariff and imposition of multiple taxes on the already impoverished Nigerians with no corresponding tangible development directed towards the welfare of the people.
“The consequences of these ill-thought and ill-implemented policies without any cushioning measures to mitigate the resultant rising cost and associated hardship on the masses have driven many into early death and extreme poverty.”
Ologunagba stated that the majority of Nigerians had become disillusioned with President Tinubu’s administration.
PDP Publicity scribe stated “The APC’s continuing use of poverty as a weapon of mass destruction is responsible for the widespread despondency in the country where people are only preoccupied with survival rather than show interest in the government policies and activities which largely alienate them.
“It is shocking that while the Federal Government announced the removal of fuel subsidy forcing Nigerians to pay more for fuel, trillions of naira is still being reportedly paid as fuel subsidy allegedly into private bank accounts associated with corrupt APC leaders.
“Sadly, the APC in its insensitivity and disregard for the people has not bordered to render an account to Nigerians with respect to the expected savings accruable to the Federation Account as a result of the announced fuel subsidy removal.”
Similarly, the National Chairman of Action Democratic Congress, Ralphs Okey Nwosu, lamented that President Tinubu’s policy failures had plunged the Nigerian economy into shambles.
During his keynote address at the ADC 76th National Executive Committee meeting, Nwosu said Nigerians had begun to feel the effects of hardship from the onset of Tinubu’s administration.
He said: “It is irreconcilable that a democratically elected government will on day one impose hardship on the people. To increase the price of any commodity by over 400 per cent from day one by a new administration is not only cal tolous, it is cruel, dangerous, and evil, it shows the mind and heart of the Presidency and elected officials of the day and their advisers.”
Addressing the theme “Advocating National Renewal and Democracy: Utilizing the Strength of Collaboration to Uplift Nigeria,” Nwosu commented, “There are numerous policy failures that have put all levels, branches, and government agencies on high alert, while our response mechanisms are ineffective. This has led to constant policy reversals throughout President Tinubu’s administration.”
He stated “The economy is in shambles. The monetary framework of the Central Bank of Nigeria can no longer be trusted to stabilise the naira as our foreign reserve has been depleted to rock bottom. The administration goes cap-in-d looking for investors and loans. But the environmental analysis is damning.
“The security situation is awful. Bandits still occupy many local governments and farm areas. Kidnapping for ransom and other vices are rampant. The streets are not safe. Transportation is grinding to a halt; either by air or road. The road infrastructure and security situation discourage road travel apart from fuel costs. The airports are becoming ghost and isolated areas.”
Also, the Coalition of United Political Parties said within a year in office, President Tinubu and the APC had ruined hope and weaponised poverty in Nigeria.
The CUPP National Spokesperson, Mark Adebayo, stated during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
CUPP expressed disappointment, stating they had expected President Tinubu to perform at least slightly better than his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, in areas such as the economy, security, education, health, and infrastructure.
Adebayo, joined by other CUPP members, remarked, “For a government that came into power with the attractive mantra of Hope Renewed, there is hardly any sector of governance that anyone can point at with any glimmer of hope on the horizon.
“What we have had in the last one year is hope ruined and poverty weaponized as if to punish Nigerians for the electoral choice they made during last year’s presidential election.
“We had assumed that President Bola Tinubu would, at least, perform a little better than the disastrous administration of his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, in the areas of economy, security, education, health, infrastructure and so forth.
“Alas! Judging by the last one year of another APC government, we can safely conclude that the country’s situation has not only worsened significantly but even worsening by the day.”
But countering the opposition parties, the APC National Director, Bala Ibrahim, said, “I think the CUPP has now become the coalition of confusionists. They are completely confused because Nigerians have rejected them. Their membership is always reducing by the day because most of the people in the opposition moving to the APC. In fact, there is a stampede now to join the ruling party.
“That is because they have seen what the APC is doing. Because of this rejection by Nigerians, they are living now in illusion. They are disunited, confused and think everybody is in that category.
“So this coalition of confusionists is getting it wrong. Probably they are in slumber, they need to wake up from their sleep and face reality.”
