A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address, accusing the administration of worsening Nigeria’s economic situation.
Momodu, who is the Deputy Director-General of Media and Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, reacted to Tinubu’s October 1 broadcast in a post on his verified X account. He described the President’s speech as uninspiring and said an occasion meant for celebration had been turned into one of lamentation.
The former presidential candidate particularly took issue with Tinubu’s description of Nigeria as a cancer patient that had been kept alive by painkillers under previous administrations. Tinubu had used the analogy to explain his administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy.
In response, Momodu argued that Nigeria was in a better position when Tinubu assumed office in 2023 and accused the administration of worsening the country’s condition. He said the President should have stabilised the situation rather than allowing it to deteriorate to what he described as “stage four cancer.”
Momodu also criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, describing the policy as a hasty decision that contributed to increased economic hardship. He cited rising debt, insecurity, poverty and what he described as excessive government spending among the challenges facing Nigerians.
He further argued that Nigerians were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with repeated promises of future improvements, saying the government should have begun delivering clearer results ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu, in his Independence Day address, defended his administration’s economic reforms, saying Nigeria had passed through a difficult period of adjustment and was entering an era of prosperity. The President pointed to economic growth and other indicators as evidence that the reforms were beginning to produce results.
