The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s Independence Day broadcast as an insult on the psyche of Nigerians and a mockery of the nation’s integrity as an independent state.
The party said the speech was completely unpresidential, lacking in patriotic stance and replete with manifest inconsistencies, contradictions, paradoxes and false performance claims.
The PDP in a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said the speech further confirmed that the country was in wrong hands.
The PDP noted that President Buhari, in his recorded address, failed to forcefully address the key issues of freedom, social justice, constitutional order, separation of powers, rule of law, human rights, credible elections, national cohesion, accountability and transparency in government; the very fundamentals of an independent state, because his administration had violated them all.
The party stated that President Buhari had no forceful reassurances on the challenge of escalated insecurity under his watch; he had no clear-cut and operable blueprint to revamp the economy, which his administration wrecked in a period of four years, resulting in so much hardship and despondency that Nigerians now resort to suicide and slavery abroad as options.
“The address further exposes that the Buhari Presidency is not interested in nation building; that it is completely disconnected from the people and remains insensitive to the plights of Nigerians.”
The PDP stated that Mr. President only succeeded in further demonstrating that his administration is, indeed, in no position to deliver a credible, acceptable and satisfactory independence address.
According to the party under the Buhari Presidency, the nation has experienced the worst form of division, deprivation, human right abuse, constitutional violations, disregard to rule of law, electoral malpractices, disobedience to court order, disrespect for separation of powers and curtailing of press freedom.
The PDP further lamented that due to the incompetence and legitimacy challenges confronting the Buhari Presidency, the nation was losing her voice and due regard in the international arena; as the administration has remained lacking in the required capacity and boldness to forcefully engage other world leaders on critical issues.
“The dearth in foreign direct investment and the inhuman treatments being meted out on our citizens in countries where we were once held in very high esteem, are some of the injuries our nation is suffering under the Buhari administration.”
The party said it was depressing that while other leaders motivate their citizens on a day like this, President Buhari presented uninspiring claims, propaganda and empty promises.