Peter Obi’s Reaction To President Tinubu’s Speech Amidst #EndBadGovernance Protests

It’s no news that Nigeria has been experiencing widespread protests demanding an end to bad governance, and President Bola Tinubu’s recent speech on Sunday, August 4, 2024 has drawn varied reactions. 

As the nation faces economic hardship, security issues, and political tensions, his address has been heavily scrutinized by many notable figures in society. 

This article examines a short summary of the presidential speech on Sunday and opposition politician, Mr. Peter Obi’s reaction to said speech on his X handle.

President Tinubu’s Speech: An Overview

In his speech, President Tinubu started by airing his disapproval at the “wanton” behaviour of some protesters in the North and other regions in Nigeria.

“I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them.”

He then went ahead to acknowledge the protesters’ concerns and stressed his administration’s dedication to resolving the country’s issues, appealing for a suspension in the nationwide protest.

“Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity. Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all – regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation.”

He also highlighted numerous initiatives aimed at economic growth, security improvements, and better governance. However, critics claim the speech lacked specific actions and timelines for strategy implementations. One such critic is opposition politician, Mr. Peter Obi who took to his X handle on Monday, August 5, 2024 to air his thoughts about the presidential speech the previous day.

Peter Obi’s Reaction to Tinubu Speech on X

The Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, responded to the broadcast, calling it a disconnection from the harsh reality.

In his address on Sunday, President Tinubu, urged the #EndBadGovernance protesters to stop demonstrating, asserting that he had “heard them loud and clear” but was going to maintain his stance over the matter of fuel subsidy restoration among other demands.

Obi, in a thread on his X handle, explained that he had delayed his response to avoid being accused of influencing public opinion against Tinubu’s government.

“Having led the call for the President to address the nation and respond to the demands of the people, and having listened to the belated speech, I needed to delay my response to see if my understanding of the address aligned with others.

“I hesitated to respond immediately, as I felt it could have been perceived as another attempt by Peter Obi to sway public opinion, especially, since I was initially accused of sponsoring the protest,” he said.

Obi thanked the President for addressing Nigerians but criticized the speech for not tackling the key issues affecting the citizens.

He added that the speech “appeared disconnected from the harsh realities” Nigerians were experiencing and focused primarily on the past rather than the present and future which were the focal points of the plight of protesting Nigerians.

He tweeted, “However, I must begin by thanking the President for finally addressing the people, albeit belatedly, which might have prevented the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, including those of our security agents.

“While I had hoped that, in consoling the families of those who lost their loved ones in the protest, he would also show empathy towards those who were injured, arrested, and detained due to the overzealous and unprofessional conduct of some security operatives, this was unfortunately not the case.

“It is the responsibility of the government to identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviors, and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights.”

The former Anambra State Governor stressed that “Nigeria must embrace all tenets of democracy, including the right to protest, without selective adherence,” adding, “I also appreciate his condemnation of the ethnic bigotry being propagated by some individuals against other ethnic groups.

“However, I had hoped for more decisive action, such as the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, to demonstrate that such intolerance will not be tolerated in today’s Nigeria.”

He continued his thread by saying, “The President’s address regrettably appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest.

“It either reflects a lack of awareness among his advisers regarding the scale of anger, hunger, and hardship in the country, or a deliberate choice to disregard it.”

He firmly urged Tinubu to “distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth.”

Obi also noted that while he and other Nigerians “do not expect the President to solve the nation’s problems overnight,” they still expected him to show conscious efforts towards tackling salient issues like the mismanagement of public resources, reduction in the high cost of governance, insecurity, corruption, electricity, and agriculture, which would reignite hope in hearts of the people.

“While the President’s speech focused on the past, the people are concerned with the present and the future. He should begin by addressing pressing issues such as the exorbitant cost of governance, measures to tackle corruption, the high cost of living, and directing resources effectively towards critical areas like health, education, and poverty alleviation. I respectfully reiterate that the President should declare a war on insecurity, the economy, poverty, unemployment, and the power sector.

“Persistent issues of corruption and mismanagement of public funds must be addressed decisively. As is done in other nations during such times, regular briefings, whether quarterly or biannually, from the President are essential to clearly communicate the visible and verifiable measures being taken to revive the nation from its current state of hopelessness, restore hope, and rebuild trust in our country.

“I also humbly request that the President reduce the repetition of how dire the situation is; every Nigerian is already aware of the extent of the problems. Mr. President, you and your team were elected not just to witness the protests but to alleviate the suffering of the people.

“Nigerians do not expect the President to solve the nation’s problems overnight, but we do expect a concerted effort to address the mismanagement of public resources, reduce the high cost of governance, and tackle issues like insecurity, corruption, electricity, agriculture, and productivity to set the country on a path to recovery and growth.”

Peter Obi ended his post by noting that only through accountability and clear strategy implementation will Mr. President be able to restore hope and rekindle the people’s faith in Nigeria.

Stay tuned for more updates on the #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria.