I noticed something about the three broadcasts yesterday.
Tinubu’s broadcast was, as many have pointed out, very underwhelming and very insensitive to the plight of Nigerians. He appeared to absolve himself of responsibility for the issues and suffering Nigerians are facing, blaming past leaders while presenting himself as the Messiah Nigerians had been waiting for.
What I found interesting about the broadcasts of the two opposition leaders is that both of them criticised Tinubu, but in very different ways.
Peter Obi’s broadcast focused heavily on the outputs and lived experiences of Nigerians. He talked about how the country has become increasingly ungovernable and insecure, how child mortality has increased, how life expectancy has declined, and the other issues bedevilling the country.
He also promised that if he were president today, Nigerians would begin to feel the impact of his policies within a year, unlike Tinubu, who seems to still be telling Nigerians, after three years, that they will soon begin to feel the impact of his policies.
Then you have Atiku’s broadcast, which was much more dynamic. A large portion of it was a direct response to Tinubu’s earlier broadcast.
The interesting thing is that Atiku went line by line, challenging almost everything Tinubu had said.
In fact, Atiku appeared to have learned one or two things since the last election. This was not the same Atiku who campaigned in the last election.
The persona he projected, especially in yesterday’s broadcast, was much more offensive. He was not playing the gentleman’s game.
On several occasions, he referred to Tinubu by name without the title, which has obviously upset a lot of Tinubu supporters. He questioned Tinubu’s competence, challenged his ideas, and questioned his promises.
At one point, he even referenced Tinubu’s promise of a transport subsidy that was supposed to take effect on October 1, jokingly asking whether the promises had missed the bus.
So, in my own assessment of the three broadcasts, Atiku’s was more direct and more offensive than Peter Obi’s.
However, I have to stress that the opposition had a very good day yesterday because they completely watered down the impact of Tinubu’s insensitive broadcast.
Atiku Abubakar’s speech today was EPIC. He gave a lot of blows and completely watered down Bola Tinubu’s broadcast today.
I like Peter Obi’s broadcast too. It was a good day for the opposition. They have to keep the momentum.