The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has knocked the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over its handling of the nation.

In a statement by Comrade Mark Adebayo, its spokesperson, the coalition said Nigerians do not have anything to really celebrate on Democracy Day.

“June 12th is a historic date in the political calendar of Nigeria because of its iconic identity indicative of a momentum that shook Nigeria to its very foundations and will remain relevant to our democratic experience as a people and country for a very long time to come.

“In as much as it is commendable that this date has been inducted into our democratic Hall of Fame as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, the hope it represents is largely absent. Democracy is useless unless it delivers to the people what makes them fulfilled as citizens of a country that they call theirs. In Nigeria of today, the productive and positive dividends of democracy are far remote from the mass of Nigerians.

“The promised and expected hope has become a forlorn one because those in the position of power at the center are disconnected from the plights of the citizens who voted them into power.

“Today, our supposed Democracy Day, most Nigerians have been deprived of their capacity to feed themselves and their families, unable to send their children to school, shelter has become mostly unaffordable, formal and informal sector businesses are collapsing, the Naira is at the mercy of other currencies, even African currencies like those of Bénin Republic, Ghana, South Africa and co – not just the dollar.

“Our inflation rate of 33.70% is making life unbearable for most Nigerians. Insecurity is burgeoning beyond control as criminals are having a field day and often go unchallenged. Poverty level in the country has quadrupled since the inception of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu due, principally, to the wicked and wrong timing of the fuel subsidy removal.

“All the suffering and retrogression in the land a are solely attributable to the anti-people plus trial-and-error policies of the Tinubu administration. Before contesting, it is now obvious that the president didn’t prepare to govern in any way beneficial to Nigerians or the country itself. He only prepared to win the election and, having won, he became clueless as to how to ease the suffering in the land before taking over from his also failed predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. Rather than relieve the socioeconomic pains of Nigerians, the Tinubu administration has increased same unbearably from his first minute in office.” (Daily Trust)