The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day address as an admission of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government’s failure to deliver on its promises after more than a decade in power.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party characterized the President’s speech as “another campaign speech masquerading as a presidential address.” The ADC argued that Nigerians deserve concrete developmental results rather than fresh assurances on economic recovery, security, and job creation.
According to the party, the address raised fundamental questions about the performance of both the current administration and the broader APC government since the party assumed power in 2015.
“President Tinubu’s address was long on promises and short on answers. What Nigerians heard today was not the speech of a government entering its fourth year in office. It was the speech of a candidate seeking another mandate,” the statement read.
The ADC’s reaction followed President Tinubu’s national broadcast marking Democracy Day, a national holiday commemorating the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election. Widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll, the election was won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
While acknowledging the significance of June 12 and the sacrifices of pro-democracy activists, the opposition party accused the President of failing to use the occasion to account for his administration’s performance.
“The question Nigerians should be asking is simple: after three years of President Tinubu and eleven years of APC rule, why are we still talking about promises?” the party asked.
The ADC maintained that key issues the APC pledged to tackle in 2015—including insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and economic decline—remain major challenges.
“The APC came to power in 2015 promising to tackle insecurity, revive the economy, create jobs, reduce poverty, strengthen institutions, and improve the quality of life of Nigerians,” the statement noted. “Eleven years later, these same issues continue to dominate the government’s speeches. The fact that the President is still making many of the same promises that brought the APC to power is itself an admission that those promises remain unfulfilled.”
The opposition party also faulted the administration’s emphasis on future prospects while millions of citizens grapple with severe economic hardship.
“The President spoke extensively about economic reforms. Yet, he failed to adequately address the reality that millions of Nigerians are experiencing one of the most severe cost-of-living crises in recent memory,” the ADC said. “Food prices remain painfully high, transportation costs have soared, and small businesses continue to struggle under rising operating expenses. Families across the country are making painful sacrifices simply to survive. Nigerians cannot be expected to celebrate economic theories while enduring economic hardship.”
Furthermore, the party argued that Democracy Day should have been an opportunity for the President to present a scorecard of the APC’s stewardship over the last decade. Instead, it argued, citizens were presented with “another catalogue of future intentions.”
The ADC added that continued appeals for patience from the government amount to an acknowledgment that expected results have not been achieved, accusing the administration of focusing more on managing public expectations than delivering tangible outcomes.
The party also criticized the National Assembly for proceeding on recess during the democratic landmark.
“The legislature is the bastion of democracy anywhere,” the statement said. “A moment like this is an opportunity for the elected representatives of the people to celebrate democracy by showcasing their commitment to hold the government to account… Unfortunately, when it matters most, the APC-led National Assembly demonstrated, once again, a painful lack of historical awareness by shutting down the house of democracy on Democracy Day.”
The ADC’s critique comes amid heightened public scrutiny of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market. While the government insists these policies are necessary for long-term economic stability, they have triggered a sharp rise in the cost of living, sparking widespread public debate.
