Tinubu Democracy Day speech draws criticism from ADC, which says the address highlighted unfulfilled APC promises after 11 years in power

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Friday criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Democracy Day address, describing it as an implicit admission that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed to fulfil key promises made since assuming power in 2015.

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In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the Tinubu Democracy Day Speech resembled a campaign address rather than a presidential account of governance, arguing that Nigerians deserved concrete outcomes rather than renewed assurances.

The ADC’s reaction followed President Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast marking Democracy Day, which commemorates the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.

While acknowledging the historical significance of June 12 and the sacrifices made by pro-democracy activists, the opposition party said the President missed an opportunity to provide a detailed assessment of his administration’s performance.

“President Tinubu’s address was long on promises and short on answers. What Nigerians heard today was not the speech of a government entering its fourth year in office. It was the speech of a candidate seeking another mandate,” the statement said.

The party questioned why major challenges such as insecurity, unemployment, poverty and economic hardship remain central themes in government speeches more than a decade after the APC came to power.

“The question Nigerians should be asking is simple: after three years of President Tinubu and eleven years of APC rule, why are we still talking about promises?” the ADC stated.

According to the opposition party, many of the commitments that helped bring the APC to power in 2015 remain unresolved despite years of governance.

“The APC came to power in 2015 promising to tackle insecurity, revive the economy, create jobs, reduce poverty, strengthen institutions, and improve the quality of life of Nigerians.

“Eleven years later, these same issues continue to dominate the government’s speeches.

The fact that the President is still making many of the same promises that brought the APC to power is itself an admission that those promises remain unfulfilled,” the statement added.

The ADC also criticised what it described as the administration’s focus on future prospects at a time when many Nigerians continue to face economic hardship.

The party pointed to rising food prices, increasing transportation costs and the challenges confronting small businesses, arguing that citizens were more concerned about current realities than long-term projections.

“Nigerians cannot be expected to celebrate economic theories while enduring economic hardship,” it said.

The opposition party further argued that Democracy Day should have provided an opportunity for the President to explain the impact of APC governance over the past 11 years and address concerns over living standards, unemployment and public confidence in government institutions.

Instead, it said, Nigerians were presented with “another catalogue of future intentions.”

According to the ADC, continued appeals for patience from the government suggest that expected results have yet to materialise.

“The ADC believes that a government that is still making promises after eleven years in power is effectively admitting that it has not delivered.

A government that continues to ask for patience after three years in office is acknowledging that the promised results have not materialised,” the statement said.

The party also accused the administration of focusing on managing public expectations rather than delivering measurable outcomes.

In addition, the ADC criticised the National Assembly for proceeding on recess during Democracy Day celebrations, arguing that the occasion should have been used to demonstrate legislative commitment to democratic accountability.

“The legislature is the bastion of democracy anywhere.

A moment like this is an opportunity for the elected representatives of the people to celebrate democracy by showcasing their commitment to hold the government to account on behalf of the people they represent,” the party stated.

The latest criticism comes amid continuing debate over the impact of major economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration since May 2023, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange market.

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While the Federal Government maintains that the reforms are necessary to achieve long-term economic stability and growth, critics argue that the measures have contributed to rising living costs and increased financial pressure on households and businesses across the country.