ABUJA, Nigeria — The Labour Party has expressed disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural speech, which they claim showed “shallowness and policy incongruity”.
In a firm rebuttal, in a statement on Monday, May 29, 2023, released shortly after the presidential inauguration, they criticized Tinubu’s approach to Nigeria’s numerous challenges, pointing to his lack of concrete solutions.
The Labour Party also cast doubt on Tinubu’s description of the recent elections as “tough but fairly won”, calling such sentiments a “slap on the faces of millions of Nigerians”. They drew parallels to former President Umaru Yar’Adua, who admitted that the election that brought him to power was flawed and vowed to fix the electoral system.
In contrast, the Labour Party decried Tinubu’s audacity and joy in proclaiming his electoral victory.
They claim the election was marred by misuse of state institutions and aggressive tactics, citing Tinubu’s alleged directive as a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to “grab power and run with it”.
“The inauguration was a celebration of lies and deceit,” said Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary for the Labour Party. He noted a lack of the usual pomp and pageantry accompanying such significant events, suggesting widespread discontent among Nigerians.
The Labour Party also took issue with what they see as a return to the economic policies of 2015, a period of high expectations but limited results. They criticised the lack of tangible policy strategies, contrasting this with their own commitment to transitioning the economy from consumption to production.
Drawing attention to the previous eight years under the Buhari administration, the Labour Party emphasized the need for Nigerians to hold the new administration accountable. They condemned the previous government for blaming the country’s woes on the PDP, and argued that little had been done to improve these challenges.
Ifoh concluded the statement with a call to action for Nigerians, asserting, “We must wake up to our roles of holding to accountable those in position of authority. APC ruined this nation, and we must not allow a worse situation again.”
As the Tinubu administration takes the reins of power, the watchful eyes of the opposition and the entire country are poised to ensure the government lives up to its promises and obligations to the Nigerian people.
The full statement is republished below:
President Bola Tinubu’S Inauguration Speech Shallow, Without Any Tangible Solution To Myriads Of Challenges Being Faced By Nigerians
IT IS A SHAME THAT HE GLOATS OVER AN ELECTORAL VICTORY WHEN NIGERIANS KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ELECTION.
The Labour Party is disappointed with the inaugural speech made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today which clearly exposed the shallowness and policy incongruity that his administration, while it lasts, is hoping to bequeath Nigerians.
First, the President described “the election that brought him to power as tough but fairly won”. He also said that today was the proudest day of his life. However, we consider that speech as defective in many ways. Late President Umaru Yar’Adua, recall, on the inauguration of his government did state that the election that brought him to power was flawed and imperfect but he promised that he was going to fix the electoral system.
But today, Nigerians were aghast with the boldness and glee with which Tinubu declared his election as fair. We consider this audacity as a slap on the faces of millions of Nigerians who voted their conscience but were robbed by a collective power of state institutions and brute bringandry unleashed on them. Nigerians will not forget in a hurry that unction by the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tinubu to “grab power and run with it”, a directive that was effected on the February 25 election day.
What was witnessed today was a celebration of lies and deceit, and that explains why the streets are like grave yards with no pomp and pageantry usually associated with a major feat like what we had today.
Again, Labour Party while campaigning told Nigerian that if given the privilege to preside, we will among other things change our economy from consumption to production and we provided tangible ways we can achieve that policy. But listening to President Tinubu today reading a speech believed to have been penned by his team, it became obvious that we are returning to the 2015 era where we had great expectations but without any means achieving them.
In the last eight years, Nigerians were constantly feed with the narratives that the previous government of the PDP brought the economic and political calamity upon the nation. In all those years, the Buhari government made little or no effort to improve upon these challenges. Nigeria is again about to be confronted with similar scenario, if not a worse scenario.
We are now calling on the highest office in Nigeria, the office of the people, not to allow this government any space to toil with the destiny of this nation again. APC ruined this nation and we must not allow a worse situation again. We must wake up to our roles of holding to accountable those in position of authority.
SIGN
Obiora Ifoh
National Publicity Secretary
LABOUR PARTY
