A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Dele Momodu, has berated President Bola Tinubu, saying his economic reforms sent Nigeria into a coma and metastasised Nigeria’s “cancer” from stage two to stage four
Momodu criticised President Tinubu’s 66th Independence Day speech, accusing his administration of worsening the country’s economic hardship, insecurity, poverty and other crises, and of turning a day meant for celebration into one of “lamentation.”
Momodu, in a statement reacting to Tinubu’s national broadcast on Thursday, said he was “honestly” unimpressed by the speech, particularly the president’s description of Nigeria as a cancer patient who had previously survived on painkillers before his administration took over.
“I have just watched and listened to your speech on television, and I must honestly say I wasn’t impressed. Today is supposed to be a day of celebration, but your speech turned it into a day of lamentation,” Momodu said.
Tinubu, in his Independence Day address, likened Nigeria’s pre-2023 economic condition to that of a cancer patient who had been kept alive with painkillers, while presenting his administration’s reforms as necessary treatment to rescue the country.
But Momodu, a former presidential aspirant, rejected the analogy, saying the country was not in the terminal condition suggested by the president when he assumed office.
“My heart bled as you went into the morbid analogy of Nigeria as being a cancer patient that merely survived on painkillers before your arrival as a celebrated surgeon,” he said.
“You specifically mentioned morphine as the drug of choice by your predecessors. I’m not sure this analogy was appropriate.
“At the time you assumed power, Nigeria probably had stage two cancer, at the worst. You were expected to stabilize it and not to metastasize it into a stage four cancer.”
Momodu further accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the country’s condition through policies introduced shortly after taking office, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy.
“Your first prescription on day one was a monumental disaster. You took no time to properly examine your patient,” he said.
“You were too much in a hurry to administer your jab, which automatically sent Nigeria into an instant coma. And you’ve not been able to revive it.
“The least we expected from you was to stabilize and not to destabilize everything in sight. Sir, your fuel subsidy stunt was a misadventure. I expected an apology for the medical calamity.”
The PDP chieftain also faulted the administration over the country’s economic situation, insecurity, poverty, and what he described as excessive government spending.
“So, Nigeria has made more money, amassed more loans, insecurity has increased, poverty has escalated, profligacy is palpable, politicians have remained insensitive, elections have taken priority over governance, renewed hope has collapsed into hopelessness and abject despair… I can go on ad infinitum…” he said.
According to Momodu, many Nigerians have become disillusioned with the promises made by the Tinubu administration, arguing that the government should have been able to demonstrate clearer signs of improvement by this stage of its tenure.
“Nigerians have mostly given up on your promises. I doubt they are able to endure and accept the endless excuses, barely three months to the next elections,” he said.
He acknowledged that the country’s problems could not be solved within a single four-year term but argued that Nigerians should by now be seeing tangible evidence of improvement.
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