The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s October 1 Independence Day broadcast, describing it as “boring, uninspiring, and disconnected from the realities of Nigerians.”
At a press conference in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said even the President’s body language during the broadcast suggested a lack of conviction in his own message.
He dismissed Tinubu’s claims of economic progress as “an affront to the sensibilities of Nigerians,” pointing to inflation, currency depreciation, and what he called the failures of “ill-thought-out and poorly-implemented macroeconomic policies.”
“If, with the present level of suffering and soaring costs of living, the President is still insisting that the economy is working, then there is indeed no hope for Nigeria under Tinubu and the APC,” Ologunagba said.
The PDP also rejected the government’s N25,000 household cash transfer as “tokenism” and “almsgiving,” insisting it reflected the President’s “feudal mindset and disdain for the people.”
The opposition party accused the administration of avoiding accountability on key financial issues, particularly savings from subsidy removal and foreign loans.
“Nigerians expected the President to give a full account of the trillions of naira allegedly saved in the last two years from subsidy removal,” Ologunagba said.
“They also expected him to provide details of the loans collected, the specific projects they were used for, and the results achieved.”
He warned that Tinubu’s silence on the matter reinforced allegations of “massive looting, diversion of public funds, and direct pillaging” under his watch, and challenged the President to publish a detailed financial breakdown of government expenditure.
Turning to internal matters, Ologunagba assured that preparations for the PDP national convention were on course, with subcommittees “fully at work” despite distractions.
He dismissed fears of derailment, saying: “The train has arrived in Ibadan; we are far ahead of the distractions.”
However, fresh tensions have emerged between the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who has been accused of countering official party decisions.
Ologunagba stressed that under Section 35 of the PDP Constitution, only the National Chairman can summon or preside over meetings of the NWC.
He also defended the recent dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State executive following Governor Umo Eno’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as necessary to protect the party’s integrity and prevent a merger of structures.
Despite the directive, Anyanwu reportedly wrote to INEC rejecting the dissolution, echoing an earlier dispute in Cross River State where a congress proceeded against NWC orders.
The controversy in Akwa Ibom has been further inflamed by a leaked video in which Governor Eno was seen suggesting he wanted to control both the PDP and APC in the state “to ensure unity.”
Party leaders described the move as a betrayal of loyalty and a direct threat to PDP’s identity.
Observers say the internal crisis, compounded by public backing from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for Eno’s realignment, underscores the deeper divisions within the party ahead of its convention.
Despite this, Ologunagba maintained that the PDP remained focused on repositioning itself: “We will not be distracted. The PDP is a party governed by laws, and those laws must be respected. The will of the party will prevail.”
