• PDP slams Tinubu’s speech as ‘boring, uninspiring, disconnected’
• Nothing to celebrate as nation sinks deeper into crisis, says CHRICED
• Mahdi Shehu: Nigeria at 65 calls for apologies, restitutions, not celebration
• Tinubu’s bold reforms laying foundation for economic recovery, says APC
• CPPE: Nigeria has suffered eight recessions since 1960
Two days after Nigeria marked 65 years of independence, sharp divisions have persisted over the country’s direction, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) celebrating President Bola Tinubu’s reforms as signs of renewal while opposition parties, activists and rights groups denounced deepening poverty, corruption, insecurity and the betrayal of democratic hopes.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast, calling it “boring, uninspiring, and disconnected from the realities facing millions of Nigerians.”
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the President’s body language during the address indicated that even he lacked confidence in his own words.
According to him, most Nigerians did not listen to the broadcast because “as usual, it was a litany of untruths and false hope.”
Ologunagba described the President’s claims of economic improvement as “an affront to the sensibilities of Nigerians,” many of whom, he said, were grappling with rising inflation, currency depreciation and the consequences of “failed, 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,” he said.
He also dismissed the government’s N25,000 cash transfer programme as “tokenism” and “almsgiving,” describing it as evidence of the President’s “feudal mindset and disdain for the Nigerian people.”
The PDP criticised the Independence Day broadcast for failing to address issues of transparency in governance, particularly concerning funds allegedly saved from the removal of fuel subsidies and foreign loans obtained by the current administration.
“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 what results have been achieved.”
He said the President’s silence on these matters reinforced widespread allegations of “massive looting, diversion of public funds, and direct pillaging under his watch.” The party called on Tinubu to publish a detailed breakdown of government spending, saying any refusal would “confirm fears of systemic corruption.”
Nothing to celebrate as nation sinks deeper into crisis, says CHRICED
Also, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) said the country has nothing to celebrate, warning that it is sinking deeper into political decay, economic collapse, and social disintegration.
Speaking at a State of the Nation address in Abuja, CHRICED Executive Director Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi described Nigeria as a country “haemorrhaging politically, economically, and socially,” where the promises of democracy, prosperity, and justice have been replaced by repression, poverty, and fear.
According to him, the hope of the nation’s founders for unity, dignity, and progress has given way to frustration. He lamented that less than two years into President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the political class had abandoned governance for early electioneering, with ministers and governors prioritising campaign rallies over addressing widespread hardship and insecurity.
The organisation also criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its silence as politicians flouted provisions of the Electoral Act, and accused the judiciary of being compromised by corruption, political interference, and chronic inefficiency. It warned that public confidence, once anchored in the courts as the last hope of the ordinary person, was rapidly eroding.
“While government propagandists spin tales of reform, stability, and progress, the lived reality for millions is one of repression, poverty, and fear. Sixty-five years after independence, the hope of Nigeria’s founding fathers for unity, prosperity, and dignity has given way to frustration, as anniversaries now remind citizens of unfulfilled promises and a nation still struggling to define its destiny,” Zikirullahi said.
“The dream of democracy, prosperity, and justice is being eclipsed by a rising tide of impunity and neglect. Institutions meant to protect and serve the people have fallen silent, paralysed by complicity or captured by power. This silence is not peace. It is abandonment. It is betrayal. The time for passive hope has passed. The time for courageous, collective action is now.”
On the economy, Zikirullahi said the country was in crisis, with inflation at 20.4 per cent, the naira trading at N1,501.45 to the dollar, youth unemployment above 40 per cent, and over 130 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty.
CHRICED also raised alarm over worsening repression of civil liberties, saying journalists, activists, and opposition figures were facing unprecedented harassment. It said more than 70 cases of media intimidation were recorded in 2024 alone, while peaceful protesters during the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations were met with deadly force.
The group cited the ongoing prosecution of activist Omoyele Sowore and punitive restrictions on civil society organisations as part of a broader attempt to silence dissent.
CHRICED called for urgent reforms, including stricter enforcement of electoral laws, judicial independence, anti-corruption investigations without sacred cows, increased investment in health and education, the creation of Abuja State for indigenous peoples, and full implementation of the Oronsaye report to cut governance costs.
“Nigeria stands at a precipice. The choices we make today will determine whether we descend into chaos or rise to reclaim our democracy and dignity,” Zikirullahi said.
“Democracy is not a luxury, it is a lifeline. When it dies, tyranny thrives. Let us rise not in anger, but in resolve. Let us demand accountability, justice, and inclusion. The future of our nation depends not on the courage of a few, but on the conscience of us all.”
Mahdi Shehu: Nigeria at 65 calls for apologies, restitutions, not celebration
For his part, human rights activist Mahdi Shehu said that Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary should not be marked with celebrations but with “apologies, restitutions, and reflection.”
In a post shared on X yesterday, Shehu argued that only a privileged few —those who have profited from the country’s resources and political power —have any reason to celebrate.
“The only people entitled to celebrate Nigeria @65 are those whose families have been milking the country dry, those who hold power as if it is their birthright, and those who steal from the nation’s commonwealth,” he wrote.
“Those who have been holding and are still holding power by an accident of history through unfair, undemocratic and foul means and are not willing to let go because they believe it is hereditary, right and entitlement.
“Those that have been stealing largely from the commonwealth of the nation, personalising the same and believe it is their birth right to continue doing so.”
Shehu questioned what was worth celebrating for “over 200 million Nigerians that have been deliberately posted into permanent and irreversible economic husbandry covered by disease, hunger and death.”
He asked what joy ordinary citizens could find amid widespread poverty, insecurity, poor healthcare, and the fact that millions of children were out of school.
“What will 70 million diabetic and hypertensive patients celebrate when they cannot afford their daily medications? Why would parents of 60 million out-of-school children celebrate Nigeria @65?” he asked.
“Why would millions of Nigerians be celebrating at a time when they are surrounded by uncertainties, hunger and opportunistic diseases with no social safety nets to cover them?”
The activist also highlighted the pain of families who have lost loved ones to kidnapping, killings, and mass graves, saying such citizens could hardly mark Independence Day with joy.
“Why would Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, his friends, followers, admirers and family members celebrate Nigeria @65 when they see murderous bandits, criminal gangs, kidnappers and other non-state actors wielding AK-47, AK-49, rocket launchers in the midst of security officials, negotiating truce, giving terms and conditions, admitting their heinous crimes?” he wrote.
“Why would they celebrate when murderous Boko Haram and other extremist killers are being granted amnesty and integrated back into the society after all the death they caused, the pain and dislocations they championed?”
Rather than fireworks and festivities, Shehu said the day should be “a moment of apologies for serial disappointments, restitutions for avoidable deaths, and mass obituaries for those buried in mass graves.”
He concluded that many Nigerians would prefer if the country could “start afresh at one year old, so they can decide where to grow and prosper away from the contraption.”
Tinubu’s bold reforms laying foundation for economic recovery, says APC
However, the All Progressives Congress praised President Bola Tinubu’s “bold” economic reforms, describing them as the start of a “new dawn of great and infinite possibilities” for the country.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC said the President’s swift actions upon taking office had laid a solid foundation for economic recovery, growth, and stability.
“To reset the economy and unleash its potential for rapid development, President Tinubu, on his first day in office, courageously ended the ruinous fuel subsidy regime and unified the multiple foreign exchange systems,” Morka said.
While acknowledging that the reforms had brought temporary discomfort, the party insisted that their benefits were already visible.
“Today, our country is better for it. The economy now rests on strong macroeconomic foundations and is showing early signs of growth and improved conditions for our people,” Morka stated.
According to the APC, President Tinubu’s leadership has produced several positive economic indicators. Gross Domestic Product growth, Morka noted, reached 4.28 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, the highest in four years and above the International Monetary Fund’s 3.5 per cent projection.
He added that foreign reserves had risen to over $42 billion, inflation had dropped to 20.1 per cent, the lowest in recent years, oil production was at record levels, non-oil revenue had surged, and trade surpluses had been recorded for five consecutive quarters.
The statement further noted that the administration had terminated the Central Bank of Nigeria’s “Means and Ways” financing and reduced the revenue-to-debt-servicing ratio from about 97 per cent to less than 50 per cent.
“The Tax-to-GDP ratio has hit 13.5 per cent, up from about 10 per cent. The volatility of our local currency has ended as the naira has gained stability, restoring and boosting investor confidence,” Morka said.
The APC credited the administration with restoring fiscal discipline and transparency, saying, “The volatility of the naira has ended. Our economy is now drawing investor confidence like never before.”
The party stressed that beyond the numbers, real changes were being felt on the ground.
“Massive investments in infrastructure, breakthroughs in the agricultural and creative industries, and a sustained fight against insurgency and corruption are all contributing to national progress,” the statement read.
The party also paid tribute to Nigeria’s founders for their “courage and vision” in laying the foundation of a united nation and commended the citizens for their resilience, patriotism, and faith in the face of decades of challenges.
“Through difficult challenges, raging storms, and calmer seasons, our nation has triumphed – driven by the perseverance of its people,” Morka said.
Looking ahead, the APC expressed confidence that the country was firmly on the path to lasting progress under Tinubu’s leadership.
“Our ship of state, under the hands of the bold and visionary President Tinubu, now sails confidently in calmer waters, toward a destination of stability and development,” the party stated.
It urged Nigerians to continue supporting the administration’s efforts to build a better nation.
“We applaud Nigerians for their patience and sacrifice. Together, we will build the Nigeria of our collective dreams,” Morka said.
CPPE: Nigeria has suffered eight recessions since 1960
Relatedly, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has revealed that Nigeria has experienced eight economic recessions since gaining independence in 1960, underscoring the country’s continued vulnerability to oil price shocks, fiscal mismanagement, and global crises.
The organisation’s Chief Executive Officer disclosed this in a statement issued to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, noting that the recessions occurred in 1967 (during the Civil War), 1975, 1978, 1981–1983, 1993, 2016, and 2020.
According to the economic think tank, each downturn exposed long-standing weaknesses in the economy, including over-reliance on oil revenues, weak non-oil exports, and excessive dependence on imports.
“Nigeria has experienced eight recessions since independence, in 1967, 1975, 1978, 1981–1983, 1993, 2016, and 2020, largely triggered by oil price shocks, fiscal mismanagement, or global crises. Each downturn revealed the same structural fragilities: heavy reliance on oil revenues, weak non-oil exports, and excessive import dependence,” CPPE stated.
The group stressed that building a more resilient economy would require deliberate policy reforms focused on export diversification, fiscal discipline, and the establishment of credible stabilisation mechanisms to cushion government spending during periods of revenue volatility.
