The principal segment of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has slammed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for turning life into a nightmare for Nigerians in the last two years.
According to the group, Tinubu’s Midterm Report showed that every human development and sociopolitical index had regressed, turning the promise of renewed hope to a nightmare of regressing hopelessness and despair.
In its mid-term report by its Leader and National Publicity Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Justice Faloye, the Late Ayo Adebanjo-led Afenifere faction accused Tinubu’s administration of engaging in “massive propaganda claiming false successes.”
Another faction of the group is loyal to Tinubu and led by Pa Reuben Fasoranti, who previously resigned.
The group also said there had been a ‘titanic crash’ in domestic production, ‘astronomical rise’ in public debt and ‘horrific increase’ in poverty under his watch.
The body said Tinubu runs an “unabashedly profligate” government for the privileged and connected.
The factional Afenifere also alleged that Tinubu’s government is destructuring democratic federalism, pushing the country towards a one-party state.
According to the group, the Midterm Report shows that every human development and sociopolitical index has regressed since the coming to office of the President Bola Tinubu administration, turning the promise of renewed hope to a nightmare of regressing hopelessness and despair.
Afenifere said “Rather than take full responsibility for the unmitigated sufferings inflicted on Nigerians in the past two years on account of its wrong policy choices and wasteful spending, the Tinubu administration has engaged in massive propaganda claiming false successes and shifting blames to global and historical factors, and showing scant empathy for ordinary Nigerians.
“Basically, due to unforced errors, especially the oversight of the production element of subsidies and floating the Naira, without any preparation to cushion the predictable impact, the Tinubu Economic Reforms has turned out to be Tinubu Economic Deforms.
“Two years into its tenure, and contrary to its well advertised electoral promise, the Tinubu administration is yet to implement Oronsaye Report to cut cost of governance, instead the costs have ballooned with new cost centers for cronies to milk. The tone of government at all levels is one of profligate ‘jaiye jaiye’ lifestyle, while the masses are being berated about Nigeria’s wasteful past and the imperative of sacrifice to restore fiscal integrity.
“The government’s first supplementary budget and subsequent budgets were spent on not only preserving but increasing the luxurious lifestyle of those in government – new Presidential jet, Cadillac limousines, N160 million cars for each federal legislator and scandalous increase in unaccounted constituency projects worth billions to each legislator.”
The group also said Tinubu’s quest for absolute power had made it to trade off the lives of Nigerians by refusing to devolve power for state police.
Afenifere submitted: “The Tinubu administration is destructuring instead of restructuring the military imposed constitution, towards true federalism. It has shown increasingly centralizing tendencies to further weaken the federalist elements in the constitution by attacking federating units with the takeover of their administrative units, known as local governments. Tinubu is destructuring the pillars of our democracy by neutralizing the legislature and judiciary put in place for balance of power and robust representative governance. It is obvious that the agenda is a one party state totalitarianism.
“In the last two years, we have witnessed a markedly increase in intolerance of protests by dissenting civic groups. Peaceful protesters, students and labour groups are hounded, destabilized and bullied. In recent times, we have seen a gale of opposition politicians decamp to the ruling party to prevent institutional victimization. Even government sponsorship of internal conflicts in opposition parties and sociopolitical groups are in open. Some recent appointments to Independent National Electoral Commission are speculated to be card-carrying members of the ruling party. The emasculation of liberal democratic values are flagrantly displayed, without any shame or restraint.
“It has been a harrowing experience living through the pain and anguish of the last two years, inflicted on the nation by the administration of President Bola Tinubu. This Midterm Report is a duty that Afenifere must fulfil to prevent government propagandists from drowning the voices of millions of hungry and deprived Nigerians.
“Rather than focusing on service delivery, the Tinubu administration is focusing on winning the 2027 election regardless of the voters. No amount of propaganda will erase hunger and poverty in the land.”
