Turaki led PDP: Tinubu Is Pharaoh, Not Moses, Nigerians Passing Through Red Sea Of Economic
The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day message, accusing the President of presenting himself and his administration as “Moses” leading Nigerians out of economic hardship.
The faction, however, described Tinubu as “the Pharaoh” pursuing Nigerians through a “Red Sea of economic pain,” arguing that the hardship being experienced by citizens has worsened under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led PDP Interim National Working Committee, Comrade Ini Ememobong, made the position known in an Independence Day statement issued on Wednesday.
The party was reacting to the President’s Independence Day message, in which Tinubu reflected on the country’s economic difficulties and outlined the administration’s policies and efforts towards improving the welfare of Nigerians.
According to the Turaki-led PDP, the biblical reference to the Israelites’ journey through the Red Sea in the President’s message amounted to an attempt to portray Tinubu as Moses leading Nigerians from “slavery to freedom.”
The opposition faction said the economic realities facing citizens presented a different picture.
It quoted the Presidency as acknowledging that, by 2023, “poverty was rising, and hope was nearly gone,” but argued that many Nigerians now believe their circumstances have become worse since May 29, 2023.
“Yes, Mr. President says Nigerians should not look back, because he knows that is where the truth is,” the party said, adding that citizens were instead confronted with higher costs of rent, transportation and education.
The Turaki-led PDP said food prices remained one of the clearest indicators of the economic pressure on households.
It cited National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data, which it said put food inflation at 19.57 per cent in August 2026, arguing that the figure represented continued increases in food prices despite the slower pace of inflation.
The party said the situation was particularly difficult for households that spent a large proportion of their income on food.
“For a family spending most of its income on food, these are not mere statistics; they mean empty plates or smaller portions,” the statement said.
The Turaki-led PDP also criticised the administration’s economic policies, particularly the cost of borrowing, despite the recent reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 26.5 per cent to 23 per cent.
It argued that the prevailing interest rate remained too high for many businesses to operate and expand effectively.
The party accused the administration of presenting what it described as a “skewed narrative” instead of addressing the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
The Turaki-led PDP further claimed that Nigerians would prefer the economic conditions they experienced in 2019 to their current circumstances, attributing the deterioration to what it described as “reckless and insensitive economic policies” of the Tinubu administration.
The party consequently turned the biblical analogy against the President, declaring: “Tinubu and the APC are the Pharaoh who is chasing Nigerians.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, the Turaki-led PDP said Nigerians would have an opportunity to choose political leadership capable of addressing the economic difficulties facing the country.
“As the elections approach in 2027, Nigerians will have an opportunity to elect their Moses, who should save them from the Pharaoh and the economic pain that they are currently facing,” it said.
The party also criticised what it described as the President’s travels and perceived detachment from the everyday realities of Nigerians, contrasting the image of Moses going with his people with what it called the President’s “detachment” from citizens.
The Turaki-led PDP further accused the APC administration of worsening economic hardship, political polarisation, insecurity and threats to democratic consolidation.
It said Independence Day should serve as a point of reflection ahead of the 2027 elections, drawing a parallel between the struggle for independence and what it described as Nigerians’ determination to change the country’s political leadership.
The party also rejected what it called political “gimmicks and theatrics” aimed at influencing voters, including attempts by the administration to portray itself as leading Nigerians from hardship to prosperity.
The Turaki-led PDP expressed confidence that Nigerians would make their judgment at the 2027 polls, maintaining its biblical analogy that citizens would eventually “escape the Red Sea and arrive in Canaan.”
It added that the “pursuing Pharaoh and his team” would not make the journey with them.
to like, bookmark, and comment.
Comments
Join the conversation:
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.