ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, on Sunday condemned President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring that his much-publicised “Renewed Hope” agenda has become a nightmare for Nigerians.
In a statement jointly signed by Afenifere Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and its National Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, the group said President Tinubu’s midterm record reflected a widespread regression in all human development and sociopolitical indices in the country.
“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,” the group stated.
Afenifere accused the administration of failing to take responsibility for the economic and social hardship experienced across the nation, instead resorting to propaganda and blame-shifting.
“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,” it said.
The statement particularly criticized Tinubu’s economic decisions, citing the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira without safety nets as catastrophic.
“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”, it said.
Afenifere also slammed what it described as a “Prebendal government” designed to serve the privileged elite, rather than the general population.
“Despite the Tinubu administration’s economic policies causing huge inflation that cut real wages in over half, only 4.1 per cent of the Nigeria population in the civil service had their wages increased by 38 per cent.
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“Reliance on unproven channels for the distribution of pitiable halfhearted food and other palliatives were corruptly split among those connected, while uncontested mega projects were brazenly given to those with well known connections to the President. It is obvious that the Tinubu administration has no intention of delivering the greatest good to the greatest number of Nigerians”, the group said.
Afenifere further noted that despite President Tinubu’s campaign promises, the Oronsaye Report on cutting government spending had not been implemented.
“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 group cited extravagant government spending, including: A new presidential jet, Cadillac limousines, N160 million cars for federal legislators, and A scandalous increase in unaccounted-for constituency projects.
Afenifere also accused the Tinubu government of undermining democratic institutions. “In the quest for absolute power, the Tinubu administration is trading off lives of Nigerians by refusing to devolve power for state police.”
It warned that Tinubu was “destructuring” rather than restructuring Nigeria’s military-imposed constitution, undermining federalism and pushing the country toward “one-party state totalitarianism.”
“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”, it said.
The group decried growing intolerance towards dissent and the clampdown on peaceful protesters, student unions, and labour activists, stating: “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.”
Afenifere also pointed to the defection of opposition politicians to the ruling party as a response to state-led intimidation and alleged interference.
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“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 added.
Describing the last two years under Tinubu as “harrowing,” Afenifere said it was fulfilling a civic duty by releasing the report to counter government propaganda.
The group also accused the government of prioritizing re-election in 2027 over good governance, saying, “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. Only selfless and empathetic leadership can serve the people, not Prebendalist and hedonistic lifestyle.”
IAfenifere offered a warning but also held out a glimmer of hope. It said, “If this Midterm Report was an academic exercise, the student will receive an advice to withdraw from the examiner, but we believe there is still room for redemption.
“We urge the President and his choir of mandate seekers to reflect and for a change just love Nigeria and Nigerians.”