The Presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has said that the nationwide address by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the ongoing protest failed to tackle the issues that triggered the protest.
In a series of tweets on Monday, Obi advised President Bola Tinubu to “distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth.”
The former governor of Anambra State said that the protest is to draw the attention of the president on several issues that are affecting the citizens ranging from exorbitant cost of governance to corruption, high cost of living and fuel subsidies, among others.
According to Obi, Tinubu’s address “regrettably appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest. It either reflects a lack of awareness among his advisers regarding the scale of anger, hunger, and hardship in the country, or a deliberate choice to disregard it.
“While the President’s speech focused on the past, the people are concerned with the present and the future. He should begin by addressing pressing issues such as the exorbitant cost of governance, measures to tackle corruption, the high cost of living, and directing resources effectively towards critical areas like health, education, and poverty alleviation.
“I respectfully reiterate that the President should declare a war on insecurity, the economy, poverty, unemployment, and the power sector.”
Obi advised that for the president to carry the people along with his administration’s economic development plans, he should hold “regular briefings, whether quarterly or biannually” as it’s done in other climes facing such challenges as Nigeria’s.
While the former Anambra State Governor commended the president for “finally addressing the people, albeit belatedly, which might have prevented the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, including those of our security agents,” Obi said the citizens don’t expect him (Tinubu) to solve the nation’s problems overnight.
He said, however, Tinubu’s expected to “address the mismanagement of public resources, reduce the high cost of governance, and tackle issues like insecurity,” among others.
Obi also urged the government to “identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviours and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights.”
In his tweets, the LP chieftain added that he deliberately delayed his response to the president’s speech “as I felt it could have been perceived as another attempt by Peter Obi to sway public opinion, especially since I was initially accused of sponsoring the protest.”
