Atiku, Obi should desist from groundless criticism and present a concrete action plan – TDF

 

The Democratic Front (TDF) has advised the Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) counterpart, Peter Obi, to present their alternative action plans to Nigerians or desist from merely criticising the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over irrelevant details.

In a statement by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group argued that Nigerians want to see what they would do better as President.

The statement read in full: “We find the urgent need to inform both candidates of the ADC and NDC that their emergence as flag bearers of their respective political parties has changed their political status from being mere critics of the regime to becoming contenders for the office of Nigeria’s President ahead of 2027.

“And at this point, Nigerians earnestly yearn for their own alternative economic programs of action, as against the selective piece-meal criticism of current policies that makes little or no sense to the interest of our people.

“It is important to note that TDF has repeatedly called out the ADC presidential candidate and his NDC counterpart to present their economic plans to Nigerians if they truly have any.

“To our dismay and disappointment, the two opposition presidential candidates have deliberately devoted their attention to unimportant details, criticising Tinubu on issues that they have no ideas or knowledge of how to reshape. An attitude that strongly suggests the non-availability of a workable alternative blueprint of action from their camps.

“It is also condemnable that Atiku Abubakar, who is currently finding it difficult to explain to Nigerians the economic modus operandi of his impracticable and empty promise to reinstate petroleum subsidy if elected President in 2027, suddenly finds the voice to challenge President Tinubu’s independence broadcast with some pedestrian economic analogy on how N30,000 could buy more litres of petroleum in the past than the N70,000 of today. Atiku should have known that the difference between the price of litres of petrol then and now is the removal of the petroleum subsidy by the government.

“We wonder what was on Atiku’s mind when he made the removal of the petroleum subsidy and privatisation of Nigeria’s oil company, NNPC, the cardinal points of his campaign in 2023.

” It is rather unfortunate that a man who occupied the office of Nigeria’s Vice President for a period of 8 years will feign or display total ignorance of not knowing that the price of a subsidised product will rise once the subsidy is removed.

“We believe that the former Vice President ridiculed himself when he challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the references to the decline in inflation to 15%, and the increase in the GDP by 4.4% in the presidential address to the people.

“Atiku should have consulted his economic Advisers to know that the economic data which President Tinubu revealed in the Independence Day speech actually determines how, and when food arrives on the dining table of the common man. It is not the temporary convenience of the ordinary man on the street, but the data of macroeconomic results, that are universally used to measure the progress of a country’s economy.

“Perhaps the most hypocritical response to the President’s Independence Day speech was the gibberish of the NDC presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who resorted to his usual tirades on insecurity and economic challenges, refusing to acknowledge the successes recorded recently by the Nigerian Army troops of Operation UDO AkA in bursting terrorists’ camps and rescuing kidnapped victims in Anambra State. And the timely rescue of 10 travellers abducted by gunmen from buses along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway on 1st October 2026 by the Nigerian security forces.

“The significant decline in inflation rates, stability in foreign exchange rates, significant reduction in the spate of national security breaches, year-on-year GDP growth by 4.4%, a record-shattering trade surplus of N12.60 trillion in Q2, 2026, historic increase in non-oil export revenue to $6.1 billion, and the 18 years high of foreign exchange reserve at $55.2 billion etc, are neither flukes nor rhetorics, but a practically cogent economic proof of significant creation of employment and wealth generation in Nigeria, on account of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s courageous, painful but necessary economic reforms.

“It is for these reasons and more that we happily welcome President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s metaphorical description of Nigeria’s economic reform journey as having successfully “crossed the Red Sea”.

TDF urged Nigerians from all walks of life to come out in their teeming millions to vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in government.