By Francesca Hangeior

The Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday, berated President Bola Tinubu for allegedly making false claims of achievements in his 64th Independence Day speech.

The opposition party claimed that Tinubu’s speech exposed the ruling All Progressives Congress’ insensitivity to the struggles of Nigerians.

But in a reaction, the APC described the PDP as a frustrated party seeking relevance.

In a statement released on Tuesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba described Tinubu’s speech as a “complete waste of time,” emphasising that it failed to address the pressing economic and security issues currently plaguing the country.

In his national broadcast on Tuesday morning, President Tinubu stressed the need for reform to ensure Nigeria’s progress and prosperity.

He warned against continuing with business as usual, which he claimed could lead to national collapse.

The President stated that upon taking office 16 months ago, his administration had prioritised reforming the political economy and defense architecture in light of the nation’s challenges.

“We found ourselves at a dizzying crossroads, where we must choose between two paths: reform for progress and prosperity or carry on business as usual and collapse,” Tinubu said, highlighting that his administration had attracted over $30bn in foreign direct investment in the past year.

In response, the PDP slammed the speech for its failure to acknowledge the difficulties faced by millions of Nigerians, including economic hardship, unemployment, and extreme poverty.

The opposition party said, “The 64th Independence Day speech by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is another lethargic and windy rhetoric of false performance claims and empty promises.”

The PDP accused the APC government of being insensitive to the public’s suffering, asserting that the speech further confirmed their position that hope for improvement under the current administration was bleak.

The PDP expressed shock that the President’s address downplayed critical issues, such as widespread economic hardship and hunger, which had previously led to public protests.

It criticised Tinubu’s assurances of micro-economic improvement and lower living costs, arguing that these claims were inconsistent with the reality of rising fuel prices and unemployment.

The PDP urged President Tinubu to take a more hands-on approach, suggesting he visit markets or engage with youth in urban areas to better understand the citizens’ true circumstances, rather than relying on fabricated statistics provided by his officials.

The PDP cautioned that the APC-led administration seemed intent on stifling democracy, as the speech notably omitted any mention of the erosion of electoral credibility and citizens’ rights under its governance.

Overall, the PDP’s response reflects deep dissatisfaction with the APC’s handling of the nation’s pressing issues and a call for more genuine engagement with the public.

Reacting, however, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, stated that the PDP’s reaction stemmed from its frustration over the ruling party achieving what they could not.

He stated “For the PDP, rather than burying their heads in shame, they claimed the President’s speech is empty.

What the PDP should understand is that since their departure from the political scene, sanity has returned to Nigeria, and peace has been restored to the country and to Abuja, the seat of power.

“Since the PDP left office, the situation has improved day by day under the APC government.During the PDP’s time, there was no peace in Abuja, making it difficult for a sitting President to address the nation from Eagle Square.

“Under an APC-led federal government, Nigerians are experiencing peace of mind. Therefore, the PDP’s reaction to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s speech is nothing but an afterthought; they are merely reacting because they see what they failed to achieve being accomplished by the APC government. By the grace of God, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will move Nigeria forward.”