The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address, saying the President’s account of Nigeria’s economic recovery does not reflect the hardship millions of Nigerians are experiencing.
In a statement released on Friday, the main opposition party said the President attempted to portray his administration as leading Nigerians from suffering to prosperity, but argued that worsening living conditions across the country tell a different story.
The PDP said the biblical comparison in the President’s speech suggested that his administration was playing the role of Moses leading the Israelites to freedom, insisting that the reality was the opposite.
According to the party, “The President issued his Independence Day message across different media platforms. The message mirrored the biblical journey of the Israelites through the Red Sea from Egypt, tactically casting the President and his administration as Moses, who is leading the nation from slavery to freedom. However, our reality reveals something different.”
The opposition party argued that Nigerians are facing severe economic hardship under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, pointing to rising costs of food, transportation, housing and education.
The PDP acknowledged that the Presidency admitted in the speech that poverty was already increasing before President Tinubu took office, but maintained that conditions have deteriorated further since then.
It quoted the President’s statement: “By 2023, poverty was rising, and hope was nearly gone. The country’s situation was darker than ever.”
The party said many Nigerians now struggle to meet their basic needs despite repeated assurances that government reforms are beginning to produce positive results.
According to the PDP, recent National Bureau of Statistics data showing food inflation at 19.57 per cent in August 2026 demonstrates that food remains unaffordable for millions of households, while some states continue to record food inflation above 35 per cent.
The party also criticised the high cost of credit, arguing that businesses are yet to benefit meaningfully from the recent reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate from 26.5 per cent to 23 per cent.
It accused the Federal Government of focusing on positive messaging instead of confronting the realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
The PDP stated, “These facts lead to only one conclusion: that most Nigerians prefer where they were in 2019 to where this administration has put them today.”
The opposition party further alleged that President Tinubu’s economic policies have deepened poverty, insecurity and national division.
It declared, “So clearly, Tinubu and the APC are the Pharaoh who is chasing Nigerians.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, the PDP said Nigerians would have the opportunity to choose a new direction for the country.
The party added, “As the elections approach in 2027, Nigerians will have an opportunity to elect their Moses, who should save them from the Pharaoh and the economic pain that they are currently facing.”
The PDP said it believes Nigerians can distinguish between political promises and their day-to-day experiences, expressing confidence that voters will use the next election to determine the country’s future.