On Democracy Day, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) did not hold back in its critique of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that he must come to terms with his administration’s shortcomings instead of continuing to offer hollow pledges. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, released a statement on Friday that pulled no punches.
The ADC expressed deep dissatisfaction with the President’s address, which they argued sounded more like a campaign pitch than a report from a leader who has spent over three years at the helm. According to the party, Nigerians were treated to a speech that failed to reflect the reality of a government entering its fourth year.
“President Tinubu needs to own up to his failures,” the statement read. “His Democracy Day address resembled that of someone seeking a fresh mandate, not someone who has been in power. He asked citizens to once again believe that prosperity is imminent, that economic reforms are about to pay off, that employment opportunities are on the horizon, and that safety is steadily improving.”
The ADC urged Nigerians to ask a straightforward question: given that Tinubu has been president for three years and the All Progressives Congress (APC) has governed for eleven, why are we still being fed with promises? The party noted that when the APC took office in 2015, it vowed to address insecurity, revitalize the economy, generate jobs, reduce poverty, fortify institutions, and enhance the well-being of Nigerians. Yet, after eleven years, these same issues continue to dominate government speeches.
“The fact that the President is still making the same vows that brought the APC to power is an admission that those pledges remain unkept,” the ADC added.
The party also took aim at the National Assembly for choosing to proceed on recess on Democracy Day, calling the move tone-deaf and dismissive of the significance of the occasion.