Politician and the Deputy Director-General, Media and Communications of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Dele Momodu, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address, asserting that the administration’s economic reforms have worsened the nation’s struggles into “stage four cancer”.
The critique came in reaction to President Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast marking Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary. In his speech, the President defended his aggressive economic policies by likening the country’s pre-2023 state to a sick patient. Tinubu claimed previous leaders relied on “morphine” to dull the symptoms of economic distress, whereas his administration chose to “excise the cancer” through difficult but necessary reforms.
Reacting via his verified X handle, Momodu expressed deep disappointment, stating that the broadcast transformed a day of national celebration into a “day of lamentation”.
“My heart bled as you went into morbid analogy of Nigeria as being cancer patient that merely survived on painkillers before your arrival as celebrated surgeon. You specifically mentioned morphine as drug of choice by your predecessors. I’m not sure this analogy was appropriate. At time you assumed power, Nigeria probably had stage two cancer at worst. You were expected to stabilise it and not to metastasize it into stage four cancer” Momodu said
The Ovation Magazine publisher further argued that immediate policy rollouts, particularly the fuel subsidy removal, acted as a “monumental disaster” that sent the country into an instant coma from which it has yet to recover.
Read his statement below
”Dear Mr President, please, permit me to wish you Happy Independence on our 66th anniversary.
I will not waste too much time Sir.
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.
My heart bled as you went into the morbid analogy of Nigeria as being a cancer patient that merely survived on pain killers before your arrival as a celebrated surgeon. 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. Your first prescription on day one was a monumental disaster. You took no time to properly examine your patient. You were too much in a hurry to administer your jab which automatically sent Nigeria 🇳🇬 into 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. 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…
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.
Four years may not be able to contain and solve all our problems but the HOPE should be glaring by now.
Dear Mr President, please, permit me to wish you Happy Independence on our 66th anniversary.
I will not waste too much time Sir.
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.
My heart bled as you went into the morbid analogy of Nigeria as being a cancer patient that merely survived on pain killers before your arrival as a celebrated surgeon. 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. Your first prescription on day one was a monumental disaster. You took no time to properly examine your patient. You were too much in a hurry to administer your jab which automatically sent Nigeria 🇳🇬 into 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. 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…
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.
Four years may not be able to contain and solve all our problems but the HOPE should be glaring by now…