Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Education Minister Dr. Oby Ezekwesili have criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent speech addressing ongoing protests, asserting that it failed to address the demonstrators’ key demands.

Atiku described the president’s speech as “hollow” and ineffective, arguing that it did not address the pressing economic challenges faced by Nigerian families since Tinubu’s administration began. He accused the president of neglecting these issues and failing to offer tangible solutions. In a statement, Atiku urged the president and his team to acknowledge their failures and stop attributing the protests to opposition forces. “The opposition did not create the economic quagmire we find ourselves in; this disaster is solely the result of the Tinubu administration’s trial-and-error policies,” Atiku said.

Dr. Ezekwesili, addressing the issue on social media, criticized the speech for failing to resonate with the concerns of the protesting citizens. She described it as a missed opportunity to address the issues and provide concrete solutions. Ezekwesili emphasized that the speech appeared more like a party manifesto rather than a genuine response to the public’s grievances.

She urged President Tinubu to immediately direct the Inspector General of Police to halt the use of force against peaceful protesters and to ensure accountability for law enforcement personnel involved in violent actions. “Your speech was sadly again written out of a mindset that is focused on ‘getting back at our enemies.’ No true leader should view their citizens as enemies,” Ezekwesili stated. She called for a shift towards genuine leadership that acknowledges and addresses the needs of all citizens.