Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent nationwide address regarding the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.
In his speech, delivered on Sunday, Tinubu urged protesters to cease their demonstrations and engage in dialogue, asserting that the removal of fuel subsidy was irreversible.
During the flag-off of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign for local government elections in Bauchi on Wednesday, Mohammed expressed disappointment with the President’s remarks.
“I listened to Mr. President’s speech with rapt attention and with all humility and courage that what he said was empty,” Mohammed stated.
He criticized Tinubu for not addressing the core issues raised by the protests.
“He did not agree with the situation. He did not address the problems and challenges. The problems are not his alone but for all of us leaders from the presidency to the sub-national down to the local government,” Mohammed added.
Mohammed highlighted the severity of the situation, particularly in the North, describing it as a wake-up call for better governance.
“There is anger and hunger; we have to address our problems of development,” he said, suggesting that the current federal policies are failing.
He also questioned the effectiveness of federal responses to the crisis, including recent claims of aid distribution.
“I have heard and with regrettable attention that some of the ministers of the Federal Government are saying that we have been given 70 trucks and five hundred and something million. How much did the Federal Government make, and what did they do with it?” Mohammed queried.
The governor’s remarks underscore growing frustration with the federal government’s handling of the economic and social issues driving the protests.