Follow Us on Google
From Ndubuisi Orji and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has knocked President Bola Tinubu, over the state of the country, while congratulating him on his 74th birthday.
The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said as Tinubu marks a new year, Nigerians are reflecting on a presidency, “ whose impact is now impossible to ignore.”
The statement read: “Happy Birthday, Mr. President. As you mark another year, Nigerians reflect on a presidency whose impact is now impossible to ignore.
“Under your watch, fuel prices have risen by nearly 500 percent, turning basic transportation into a daily calculation of survival.
“Under your leadership, Nigeria has climbed to 4th on the Global Terrorism Index, while thousands of lives have been lost to violence, families shattered, and communities displaced. Every hour, a Nigerian is killed by insurgents.
“Under your presidency, insecurity has not just persisted, it has adapted, expanded, and, at times, been met with language that blurs accountability, where those who terrorize Nigerians are referred to as “sons” and “brothers,” even as their victims bury loved ones.
“Under your leadership, the economic strain on Nigerians has deepened, the cost of living has surged, and the ‘Renewed Hope’ that you promised has turned to hopelessness for millions of Nigerian families.
“And under your watch, the political space is narrowing, raising real concerns about the steady drift toward a one-party state, in a democracy that was fought for with blood, sweat and tears.
Other News
“But birthdays are for reflection. So, as you celebrate your final year in office, Nigerians can only offer a prayer, that this next year brings a sudden and unfamiliar miracle: that you begin to take governance more seriously; that you finally see the loss of lives under your watch as a failure of your leadership; and that you begin, at the very least, to act with the weight and responsibility of leading the world’s most populous Black nation.
“Wishing you good health, improved judgment, and a sense of responsibility to the people you govern.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu’s top digital aides have rebuked the ADC, slamming its “final year in office” barb as fantasy and mounting a vigorous defense of the administration’s tough economic and security policies.
Special Assistant on Social Media Olusegun Dada hit back on X, branding the claim “wishful thinking” and insisting democratic leadership belongs to the people, not opposition soundbites. He criticized Abdullahi’s post for “sweeping claims rather than balanced critique,” demanding “context, fairness, and accuracy” for true accountability.
Dada contextualised fuel hikes as a fix for “long-term fiscal strain” via subsidy removal, while security woes demand “sustained responses.” He scoffed at one-party state fears: “And that line about ‘as you celebrate your final year in office’ says more about wishful thinking than political reality.”
Echoing the retort, Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media O’tega Ogra accused Abdullahi of “selective amnesia” and “reinventing history” on X. “You speak of hardship as though you discovered it. You speak of insecurity as though it began yesterday. You speak of governance as though you were never inside the room when decisions were made,” Ogra charged.
Conceding real pain from fuel price surges and subsidy cuts, Ogra framed them as inherited burdens: “For years, we subsidised illusion, deferred reality, borrowed comfort, and allowed rent-seekers to take hold of our commonwealth.” He called subsidy removal a “hard choice” with consequences, but essential: “We endure to rebuild, not rebuild to endure.”
On security’s “multi-layered” threats, Ogra noted ongoing boosts in coordination and capacity: “Is it enough? No. Is it nothing? Also no.” He rejected democracy-in-peril narratives, pointing to open critiques as proof: “A democracy that permits this level of dissent is not shrinking; it is alive—imperfect, noisy, contested, but alive.”
Ogra urged critics to own their past roles: “You criticise a system you once helped shape. You condemn outcomes without acknowledging inputs.” He positioned the era as “correction” and “transition”: “We are not where we want to be. But we are no longer where we were.”
