A Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent national broadcast, stating that the President is disconnected from the reality of the everyday Nigerian.
The human rights lawyer described
President Tinubu’s Sunday broadcast to Nigerians as “a pack of empty words and a time-wasting load of irrelevancies.”
Effiong argues that the president’s speech underscores his belief that Nigeria is burdened by “a political class that is deliberately indifferent to the suffering and needs of its people.”
Effiong’s remarks, shared on his X account, followed Tinubu’s address to the nation.
In his speech, President Tinubu rejected calls to reinstate the fuel subsidy, a key demand of the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protesters.
Effiong contended that the president’s actions reflect a typical authoritarian approach, ignoring the concerns of the population.
“President Tinubu’s speech is just a pack of empty words and a time wasting load of irrelevancies.
“It is a confirmation of my long held view, that we are dealing with a fatalistic political class that is intentionally deaf and willfully blind to the sufferings and yearnings of Nigerians,” Effiong stated.
He continued, “This president is disconnected from the reality of the everyday Nigerian. He’s living in an imaginary Nigeria that only exists in his head. The speech couldn’t have been more meaningless and aimless.”
Effiong expressed disappointment that Tinubu did not address the protesters’ specific demands or respond to recent nationwide demonstrations.
“Those who wrote it, and Mr. Tinubu, who read it out, have succeeded in justifying the reasons for the nationwide protest.
“It is appalling that despite what we have witnessed across the country in the last three days, the President did not deem it necessary to speak to the specific demands of the protesters.
“A government is only useful if it serves the interests of the governed. This government is anti-people,” he said.
Effiong highlighted several omissions in Tinubu’s address: “Tinubu made no mention of electoral reform, no reversal of his horrible and devastating economic policies, he made no attempt to cut down the overbloated size of his government. Tinubu made no concessions.”
He accused the president of behaving like a despot by ignoring public outcry. “Great leaders make sacrifices for their country, but terrible leaders like Tinubu only know how to sacrifice the country for their own interests,” Effiong asserted.
“It is not his voice that people wanted to hear, people wanted him to speak directly to their demands. His call for dialogue is in bad faith. He did not address the mindless killing of protesters by security agencies in any meaningful way. He also did not set up any credible machinery for a purposeful dialogue.
“Tinubu is preoccupied with the ridiculous idea that the protest is being sponsored by his political adversaries. This provocative arrogance by Nigerian politicians will be ended one day by Nigerians, one way or the other,” he concluded.
The post #EndBadGovernance Protest: ‘This President Is Disconnected From The Reality Of Everyday Nigerian’ – Inibehe Effiong Criticizes Tinubu’s Nationwide Address appeared first on Naija News.