By Yusuf Olukokun
Peter Obi, Labour Party 2023 Presidential Candidate, has politically responded to Bola Tinubu’s Presidential address on the ongoing nationwide protest which began on August1st of which he said the address lacked empathy.
Peter Obi on his X handle posited that due to his plea to President Bola Tinubu to address Nigerians, he had to wait so long to see if his opinion would align with the members of the public.
Reacting to the President’s Speech, Obi made it clear that Bola Tinubu never consoled those who lost their loved ones during the protest, due to the illegalities of some security operatives.
According to Peter Obi, the President should have taken more decisive actions towards the perpetrators of these evil acts against peaceful protesters.
However, Obi maintained that President Tinubu was so much disconnected with the realities of things in Nigeria economically, and that he should bring himself closer to the people.
Obi’s statement read in part:”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. At this point, I strongly advise the President to distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth.
“Alternatively, Peter Obi also condemned the wastage of public funds by the present administration while he demanded that issue of corruption should be attended to decisively. In his words, he said Nigerians did not expect the President to be a messiah, but the will of the people must be protected.
“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. By doing so, the President can restore hope and rekindle the people’s faith in our dear country Nigeria.”