Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has slammed President Bola Tinubu’s national broadcast addressing the recent nationwide protests, describing it as tone-deaf and dismissive of the real demands of the protesters. Effiong argued that despite the widespread demonstrations against hardship and poor governance, Tinubu failed to acknowledge or address the core issues.
In a post on his X account, Effiong criticized the administration’s stance, particularly its refusal to reinstate the fuel subsidy, which protesters claim is necessary to alleviate the burden of soaring prices. Effiong accused Tinubu of being disconnected from the realities faced by everyday Nigerians and labeled his administration as “anti-people.”
He expressed disappointment that Tinubu’s speech made no concessions or mention of critical issues like electoral reform or reducing the government’s size. Effiong asserted that the speech justified the protests, as it failed to address the protesters’ specific demands and ignored allegations of excessive force by security agencies. He concluded that Tinubu’s call for dialogue was in bad faith and that the president was preoccupied with the notion that the protests were politically motivated.
