Nigerians Slam Tinubu’s 2nd Year Anniversary Speech As Economic Woes Deepen.
Nigerians have sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s 2nd year anniversary speech, with prominent voices dismissing his administration’s self-assessment as disconnected from the nation’s stark realities. The speech, meant to highlight achievements under the “Renewed Hope” agenda, has drawn ire from groups and individuals who argue that the past two years have brought only hardship, hunger, and disillusionment.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a leading Igbo socio-cultural organisation, issued a scathing statement from Abakaliki, branding Tinubu’s two-year tenure as “heavily tainted by the incompetence and corruption of his appointed officials.” Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group’s National Deputy President, accused the administration of pursuing a “Yorubanisation” agenda that undermines national unity and fuels ineffective governance. He highlighted widespread economic hardship, with ordinary Nigerians grappling with hunger and soaring costs.
Isiguzoro urged Tinubu to reshuffle his cabinet, sack underperforming ministers, and emulate the competence shown by Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, and Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Both were praised for delivering tangible infrastructure projects. Ohanaeze also called for the creation of additional states in the South-East to address historical imbalances and advocated for including ethnicity and religion in the 2025 National Census to bolster electoral reforms.
The group warned that failure to address these issues could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape by 2027, with disloyal appointees potentially defecting to opposition coalitions. “The Nigerian people expect transformative leadership. If this expectation remains unmet, the consequences will be dire,” the statement read.
Similarly, John Chuma Nwosu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the upcoming Anambra State gubernatorial election, described Tinubu’s speech as “vacuous” and out of touch. Speaking yesterday, Nwosu argued that the administration’s policies have worsened Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, with price hikes exceeding 40% for essentials like fuel, electricity, food, and housing. “The naira is grossly devalued, and Nigerians are in a state of permanent shock,” he said, adding that most citizens are “barely surviving.”
Nwosu shared a grim anecdote to illustrate public sentiment: “A man said, ‘Under Tinubu, my family and I are no longer trying to make ends meet; we are only trying to make ends see each other from a distance.’” He criticised the speech for focusing on political posturing for 2027 rather than addressing pressing needs. However, he reminded Nigerians of their democratic power to vote out underperforming leaders, urging them to use “protest votes” to demand accountability.
The #EndBadGovernance (EBG) Movement echoed these sentiments, dismissing Tinubu’s touted achievements as “propaganda.” At a briefing in Lagos, the group, led by Hassan Taiwo ‘Soweto’ and Oloye Adegboyega-Adeniji, accused the administration of contradicting its debt-clearance claims by seeking loans that could push Nigeria’s debt to N200 trillion. “The APC’s hallmark, in or out of government, is propaganda,” they stated.
In contrast, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) defended Tinubu, attributing current challenges to the policy failures of past administrations. However, this defence has done little to quell public discontent, as Nigerians continue to grapple with a cost-of-living crisis and a sense of disenfranchisement.
As Tinubu’s administration approaches the second half of its term, the mounting criticism underscores the urgent need for meaningful reforms to restore public confidence and address the nation’s deepening economic and social challenges.