Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as the worst democratic government Nigeria has experienced since the return to democracy in 1999.
Eze made the claim while reacting to President Tinubu’s Independence Day address, describing Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary as a period marked by poverty, insecurity, economic hardship and what he called “leadership mediocrity.”
According to the ADC chieftain, Nigerians should ordinarily be celebrating the sacrifices of the country’s founding heroes, but the prevailing economic situation has instead turned the anniversary into what he described as a “celebration of enslavement.”
Instead of celebrating independence, Nigerians are celebrating enslavement by Tinubu through huge and unprecedented borrowing of foreign loans that even our grandchildren may be incapable of repaying,” Eze said.
He accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the country’s economic challenges, alleging that rising food prices, transportation costs, housing expenses and declining purchasing power have pushed many Nigerians deeper into poverty.
Eze also criticised the government over insecurity, citing banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, insurgency and communal violence across the country.
He alleged that farmers, religious worshippers and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members continue to face security threats, while accusing the government of failing to adequately address the situation.
Reacting specifically to Tinubu’s Independence Day speech, Eze described it as “empty,” “a hoax” and “a celebration of economic woes,” claiming that the President failed to sufficiently address the major challenges confronting Nigerians.
He further accused the administration of relying heavily on borrowing while failing to deliver what he described as tangible achievements capable of improving the lives of citizens.
The former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) also listed unemployment, underemployment, food insecurity, electricity challenges, poor infrastructure, weak healthcare systems and institutional weaknesses among the problems he said had worsened under the present administration.
While acknowledging that Nigeria had faced governance challenges before Tinubu assumed office, Eze argued that the situation had deteriorated significantly since the President came to power.
He subsequently called on Nigerians to vote against President Tinubu and his political allies in the forthcoming general elections.
The statement was signed by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, an ADC chieftain, media consultant and public relations strategist, and was dated October 7, 2026.
