The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has responded to the address of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Nigerians amid the ongoing nationwide protest against bad governance in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
He made his response known in a statement via his verified handle on X on Monday.
The former Anambra State governor noted that his response might seem late because he delayed in responding as he had been accused of sponsoring the protest.
He stated that the address of the President came late as people have already been killed in the course of the protest including security agents.
Obi, however, noted that President Tinubu’s address lacked empathy towards those who were injured, arrested, and detained due to the overzealous and unprofessional conduct of some security operatives.
The prominent politician added that it is the responsibility of the government to identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviours and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights.
He also stated that the President’s address appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest.
“Having led the call for the President to address the nation and respond to the demands of the people, and having listened to the belated speech, I needed to delay my response to see if my understanding of the address was aligned with others.
“I hesitated to respond immediately, as I felt it could have been perceived as another attempt by Peter Obi to sway public opinion, especially since I was initially accused of sponsoring the protest.
“However, I must begin by thanking the President for finally addressing the people, albeit belatedly, which might have prevented the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, including those of our security agents.
“While I had hoped that, in consoling the families of those who lost their loved ones in the protest, he would also show some empathy towards those who were injured, arrested, and detained due to the overzealous and unprofessional conduct of some security operatives, this was unfortunately not the case.
“It is the responsibility of the government to identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviours and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights.
“Nigeria must embrace all tenets of democracy, including the right to protest, without selective adherence. I also appreciate his condemnation of the ethnic bigotry being propagated by some individuals against other ethnic groups.
“However, I had hoped for more decisive action, such as the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, to demonstrate that such intolerance will not be tolerated in today’s Nigeria.
“The President’s address regrettably appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest. It either reflects a lack of awareness among his advisers regarding the scale of anger, hunger, and hardship in the country, or a deliberate choice to disregard it. At this point, I strongly advise the President to distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth,” the statement reads in part.
