Tinubu’s Nationwide Speech Faces Backlash from Opposition: Atiku’s Aide Speaks Out

Phrank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communications to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, expressed his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast.

He claimed that the speech was aimed at persuading the National Labour Congress (NLC) to halt its planned strike.

Shaibu deemed the speech deceptive, uninspiring, and a waste of time.

He further called on Tinubu to apologize for removing fuel subsidy without a clear plan to alleviate the suffering of the people, stating that the president’s mode of governance demonstrated his cluelessness.

Accusations of Deception and Lack of Clear Plan:

Shaibu lambasted Tinubu for putting the blame of the economic crisis on subsidy thieves and questioned why the perpetrators had not been brought to justice if the accusations were valid.

He argued that the president’s speech was hastily put together to dissuade the suffering masses and organized labor from taking to the streets in protest.

Instead of offering an apology for the subsidy removal without providing a cushion for the poor, Tinubu pointed fingers at others for the current suffering.

Contradictions in Tinubu’s Past Statements:

The PDP chieftain criticized Tinubu for claiming to be a long-time advocate of subsidy removal when in 2012, he had described petrol subsidy removal as the “Goodluck Jonathan tax” and sponsored protests against it in Lagos State.

Shaibu accused Tinubu of lacking imagination in addressing the subsidy issue when he came into power and removing it without a proper plan.

Minimum Wage Review and Lack of Prior Planning:

Shaibu questioned the timing of Tinubu’s promise to review the minimum wage upwards, as it should have been discussed prior to the subsidy removal.

He called it a manifestation of cluelessness and placing the cart before the horse.

Doubts on Tinubu’s Economic Plans:

The aide expressed skepticism about Tinubu’s pledge to provide N50,000 grants to small businesses, citing potential issues with inflation, exchange rates, and corruption.

He compared this proposal to previous failed initiatives like tradermoni and the public works program under the last APC government, which failed to stimulate the economy and worsened poverty.

Lack of Mechanism for the Poor:

Shaibu raised concerns about how poor Nigerians would access the promised grants, stating that there appeared to be no concrete mechanism in place.

He viewed Tinubu’s promises as mere deception, and he anticipated that the outcomes would reveal the truth in the coming weeks.

Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media

Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn