‘Tinubu Is Pharaoh, Not Moses’ — Turaki-Led PDP Reacts to Independence Speech
The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s 2026 Independence Day address, accusing his administration of failing to adequately address the economic difficulties facing Nigerians.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, expressed the position in an Independence Day statement issued on Wednesday.
The group was reacting to Tinubu’s national address, in which the President said Nigeria had passed through difficult economic reforms and urged citizens to look forward rather than return to previous policies. Tinubu used the biblical imagery of the Red Sea, saying Nigeria had passed through its own “Red Sea” and that the country should move towards what he described as a “Promised Land” of prosperity.
However, the Turaki-led PDP interpreted the President’s analogy differently. The faction argued that the administration was presenting Tinubu as a Moses-like figure leading Nigerians out of hardship, while describing the APC government as the “Pharaoh” allegedly pursuing citizens through what it called a “Red Sea of economic pain.”
The opposition faction said Nigerians were still experiencing significant pressure from the cost of living, particularly food, transportation, housing and education.
It cited the latest National Bureau of Statistics data showing that food inflation stood at 19.57 per cent year-on-year in August 2026. The NBS figure represents a decline from 20.31 per cent in July and 25.30 per cent in August 2025, although food prices remained higher than a year earlier.
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The PDP faction argued that statistical improvements in inflation did not necessarily mean households were experiencing immediate relief from high prices.
It also criticised borrowing costs, arguing that interest rates remained challenging for businesses despite the recent reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate.
The group further accused the administration of presenting what it described as a selective account of the economy while overlooking the difficulties faced by ordinary Nigerians.
According to the faction, many citizens would prefer the economic conditions they experienced in earlier years to the current situation, which it attributed to what it called insensitive economic policies.
The PDP faction also criticised the President’s travels and what it described as a disconnect between government and citizens.
Looking towards the 2027 general election, the group said Nigerians would have an opportunity to choose new political leadership.
It urged voters to assess the administration’s record based on their experiences with the economy, security and democratic governance.
The faction further accused the APC government of worsening economic hardship, political divisions and insecurity, while expressing confidence that Nigerians would make their judgment at the 2027 polls.
The statement concluded by extending its biblical comparison, saying Nigerians would eventually move beyond the economic difficulties it attributed to the present administration.
