Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has described President Bola Tinubu's Sunday broadcast to Nigerians as a disconnection from reality and a failure to address the protesters' demands.
Effiong further stated on his X page that the president's speech was a collection of empty words and irrelevant content.
In his address, President Tinubu ruled out the return of the fuel subsidy, contrary to the demands of the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protesters, who are seeking the reinstatement of the controversial scheme.
In response, Effiong stated that great leaders make sacrifices for their country, while terrible leaders like Tinubu only sacrifice the country for their own interests.
Effiong's response read: "President Tinubu's speech is a collection of empty words and irrelevant content. It confirms my long-held view that we are dealing with a political class that is intentionally deaf and willfully blind to the sufferings and yearnings of Nigerians.
"This President is disconnected from the reality of the everyday Nigerian. He's living in an imaginary Nigeria that exists only in his mind. The speech could not have been more meaningless or aimless. Those who wrote it, and Mr. Tinubu who read it, have only succeeded in justifying the reasons for the nationwide protests.
"It is appalling that despite the events witnessed across the country in the last three days, the President did not address the specific demands of the protesters. A government is only useful if it serves the interests of the governed. This government is anti-people.
"Tinubu made no mention of electoral reform, no reversal of his harmful and devastating economic policies, and made no attempt to reduce the over-bloated size of his government. He made no concessions. This President, like despots, ignores the agitations of the masses. Great leaders make sacrifices for their country, but terrible leaders like Tinubu only know how to sacrifice the country for their own interests.
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"It is not his voice that people wanted to hear; they wanted him to speak directly to their demands. His call for dialogue is in bad faith. He did not address the mindless killing of protesters by security agencies in any meaningful way, nor did he set up any credible machinery for purposeful dialogue.
"Tinubu is preoccupied with the ridiculous idea that the protest is being sponsored by his political adversaries. This provocative arrogance by Nigerian politicians will one day be ended by Nigerians, one way or another."
Hours after President Tinubu's live broadcast, protesters, including Christians, held a Sunday service at the protest ground in Old Airport Junction, Jos.
Onyii Egbuche, tweeting as #Arthur0287, shared a series of pictures and videos on X.com on Sunday. One caption read, "Protest Day 4: Christians and Muslims jubilating during Sunday service at the protest ground."
Another user, #witty_cruz, posted pictures with the caption, "Day 4: Protesters and Christians hold Sunday service at the protest ground in Jos. A beautiful sight to behold."
