Your “Renewed Hope” Agenda Has Brought Hopelessness To Nigerians, ADC Berates Tinubu

By Rotela Oguns

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has told President Bola Tinubu that his “Renewed Hope” Agenda has brought nothing but hardship to Nigerians as millions are now languishing in hopelessness.

Abdullahi said this in a critical birthday message he sent to the president on the occasion of his 74th birthday celebration.

Analyzing the situations of the country under the watch of Tinubu, Abdullahi, in a post on his verified X handle on Sunday, said things have spiralled out of control adding that no sector of the national life is excluded.

He lamented  the rising insecurity, economic hardship, and surge in fuel prices across the country while urging Tinubu to use the occasion of his birthday for reflection on the state of the nation rather than celebration.

Abdullahi said, “As you mark another year, Nigerians reflect on a presidency whose impact is now impossible to ignore. Under your watch, fuel prices have risen by nearly 500%, turning basic transportation into a daily calculation of survival.

“Under your leadership, Nigeria has climbed to 4th on the Global Terrorism Index, while thousands of lives have been lost to violence, families shattered, and communities displaced. Every hour, a Nigerian is killed by insurgents.”

He continued, “Under your presidency, insecurity has not just persisted, it has adapted, expanded, and, at times, been met with language that blurs accountability, where those who terrorize Nigerians are referred to as ‘sons’ and ‘brothers,’ even as their victims bury loved ones.

“Under your leadership, the economic strain on Nigerians has deepened, the cost of living has surged, and the ‘Renewed Hope’ that you promised has turned to hopelessness for millions of Nigerian families.”

Abdullahi, who is also a former minister of sports, accused Tinubu of narrowing the political space in a bid to stifle opposition and make the country a one-party system.

He urged the president to  demonstrate a greater sense of responsibility in governing the country.

“And under your watch, the political space is narrowing, raising real concerns about the steady drift toward a one-party state, in a democracy that was fought for with blood, sweat and tears.

“But birthdays are for reflection. So as you celebrate your final year in office, Nigerians can only offer a prayer, that this next year brings a sudden and unfamiliar miracle: that you begin to take governance more seriously; that you finally see the loss of lives under your watch as a failure of your leadership; and that you begin, at the very least, to act with the weight and responsibility of leading the world’s most populous Black nation.

“Wishing you good health, improved judgment, and a sense of responsibility to the people you govern. Happy Birthday, Mr. President!” Abdullahi wrote.