A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tanimu Turaki has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s 66th Independence Day address, accusing his administration of worsening the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
The faction, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, on Thursday, rejected the President’s portrayal of his administration as leading Nigerians out of economic hardship into prosperity.
But the PDP faction said the President had reversed the roles in the biblical analogy by presenting himself and his administration as Moses, while Nigerians were still experiencing what it described as a “Red Sea of economic pain.”
According to the party, “the fact is that Nigerians are travelling through a Red Sea of economic pain caused by insensitive and irresponsible leadership foisted on the country by the All Progressives Congress (APC) since 2015.”
The faction also challenged the Presidency’s acknowledgement that Nigeria’s situation was particularly difficult in 2023, arguing that many Nigerians now feel worse off than they did when Tinubu assumed office.
It said the President’s call on Nigerians not to look back was an attempt to avoid comparisons with their economic circumstances before his administration.
“Mr. President says Nigerians should not look back, because he knows that is where the truth is,” the statement said.
The PDP faction pointed to rising costs of rent, transportation and education, while particularly highlighting food prices as evidence of the hardship being experienced by households.
It cited National Bureau of Statistics data which, according to the statement, put food inflation at 19.57 per cent in August 2026.
The party said the figure represented continued increases in food prices despite a slowdown in the rate of inflation, adding that the situation remained difficult for households that devote a large share of their income to food.
It also criticised the administration’s economic policies, particularly the cost of borrowing, arguing that businesses continued to face difficulties despite the recent reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate from 26.5 per cent to 23 per cent.
The PDP accused the government of promoting what it described as “skewed narratives” rather than confronting the economic challenges facing Nigerians.
It further claimed that many Nigerians would prefer their economic circumstances in 2019 to their present situation, attributing the deterioration to what it called the “reckless and insensitive economic policies” of the Tinubu administration.
The party consequently turned Tinubu’s biblical analogy against him, declaring: “So clearly, Tinubu and the APC are the Pharaoh who is chasing Nigerians.”
It also linked the dispute to the 2027 general election, saying Nigerians would have an opportunity to choose new leadership capable of addressing the economic difficulties.
The PDP faction contrasted its description of a “Pharaoh” with the biblical Moses, arguing that a leader should remain connected to the experiences of the people rather than be detached from their difficulties.
It accused the Tinubu administration of subjecting Nigerians to economic pain, polarisation, disunity, insecurity and threats to democratic consolidation.
The party said Independence Day should serve as a reference point for political engagement ahead of the 2027 election, adding that Nigerians would, in its view, reject what it described as political “gimmicks and theatrics” aimed at influencing voters.
It concluded that Nigerians would eventually escape what it called the “Red Sea” of economic hardship and reach a “Canaan,” while the administration responsible for their suffering would be voted out.
