President Tinubu’s New Year message struck right chord with Nigerians, APC replies PDP

The ruling All Progressives Congress APC has hailed the New Year nationwide broadcast of President Bola Tinubu, saying all the issues he touched resonated well with Nigerians.

APC’s statement was a reaction to that of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP which had Monday described Tinubu’s address as a harvest of deceit, false claims, and empty promises.

The PDP had also described Tinubu’s speech as unpresidential, uninspiring and amounts to a waste of valuable time as it did not address any of the critical issues plaguing the nation.

“The president failed to address critical issues of insecurity, decayed infrastructure, comatose manufacturing and productive sectors; crushing 28% inflation rate, continuing plunge of the Naira, alarming unemployment, excruciating poverty and economic hardship occasioned by the reckless, ill-advised and insensitive policies and programmes of his administration.

“President Tinubu failed to address the vexatious issue of incompetence, insensitivity, massive profligacy, unbridled treasury-looting inherent in his administration, which have put our nation in dire straits”, the PDP had said through its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.

However, APC which had evaded immediate media reactions, formally responded on Tuesday through its publicity directorate.

According to the APC, democratic opposition politics is not exactly about being a masterclass of incivility or casting crude aspersions without justification.

Part of the APC statement reads; “It is also not about haughty display of ignorance of essential social and economic policy or willful blindness to the administration’s bold and courageous efforts to raise the bar for sustainable growth and development of our country. PDP’s nagging irrationality is a blight on our democracy.

“Both in tone and substance, President Tinubu’s New Year address was measured, sensitive, articulate, highly presidential and an excellent fit for the purpose and occasion it was delivered. A new year speech of any President is a goodwill message to the nation in celebration of the new year. It is a moment for tone-setting of expectations for the year ahead. It is not a policy speech delivered to a think tank. Even that basic understanding of the nature of a new year speech stands elusive to highly deluded PDP.

“The President was forthright in his acknowledgment of the transient tough impact that some of the administration’s policies have had on citizens, just as he was categorical in expression of commitment to do everything under the power of his office to tackle prevailing challenges and secure a safer and stronger country for the benefit of all. The President addressed Nigerians with candour, sensitivity and attentiveness of a kind unknown to the PDP in its 16 years of reckless, and never again, rule.

“The President’s new year message struck the right chord with Nigerians, assuring of the administration’s commitment to fixing power and energy challenges, locally refining petroleum products, crashing prices of products, creating jobs, enabling a more favourable business environment, tackling insecurity,

expanding food security and affordability, implementing new minimum wage for workers, and more. Signing the 2024 budget into law on New Year’s Day is further evidence of the President walking the talk. The President is busy doing the job he was elected to do and will not be distracted by PDP’s idle mischief”.