PDP Slams Tinubu’s New Year Message for Lacking Solutions to Unemployment and Hunger
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s New Year message, accusing the president of neglecting to address the pressing issues of unemployment, hunger, and the broader economic hardship affecting Nigerians.
In a statement issued by PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, the party described Tinubu’s speech as self-satisfying and completely disconnected from the harsh realities faced by citizens across the country. According to the PDP, despite continuous calls from the opposition and well-meaning citizens, the president’s speech failed to offer any concrete solutions or a clear policy direction to tackle the myriad of challenges exacerbated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Nigerians were appalled that despite the prodding by the PDP and well-meaning citizens, President Tinubu’s New Year speech did not articulate any specific direction for the nation or proffer solutions to the myriad of problems caused by APC’s misrule,” Ologunagba said.
The PDP spokesman pointed out that President Tinubu’s message lacked essential elements, such as a plan to reduce the price of petroleum products, address the widespread hunger in the country, and revive Nigeria’s struggling productive sectors. He also noted the absence of any proposed solutions for critical sectors like electricity, oil and gas, road infrastructure, and food production.
Ologunagba further emphasized that the New Year address completely overlooked the urgent need to address unemployment through strategic investments, particularly in small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), which are key to Nigeria’s economic recovery. He argued that had the APC government genuinely prioritized the welfare of Nigerians, the president’s speech would have offered decisive measures on fuel price regulation, considering the potential for transparent management of national resources, refining capacities, and border control to lower petrol prices to no more than N350 per litre.
The PDP spokesperson also criticized Tinubu’s claim in the speech that Nigerians had placed their confidence in him as president, calling it absurd and reflective of the administration’s disconnect from the country’s current realities. Ologunagba stated that many Nigerians have lost faith in the administration and are now eagerly anticipating the next round of elections, hoping for a change from what they perceive as the APC’s mismanagement of the nation.
The PDP concluded by urging the president to listen to the concerns of the citizens, emphasizing that true governance should focus on the welfare, security, and well-being of the people.
