Dele Momodu Accuses Tinubu of Taking Nigeria to ‘Stage-Four Cancer’African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Dele Momodu has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address, arguing that the administration has worsened Nigeria’s condition since taking office in 2023.

Momodu made the comments in a post on his verified X account on Thursday, October 1, following Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. He said the speech turned what should have been a day of celebration into what he described as a “day of lamentation.”

The ADC chieftain particularly criticised the President’s use of a cancer analogy to describe the condition of the Nigerian economy when he assumed office. Tinubu had said Nigeria was like a cancer patient whose previous leaders relied on “morphine” rather than addressing the underlying problems.

Momodu said Tinubu, whom he referred to as a celebrated doctor in his response, should have stabilised the country rather than allowing its condition to deteriorate. He argued that Nigeria was at “stage two cancer, at the worst” when the current administration took office.

“You were supposed to stop it from getting worse and not let it turn into stage-four cancer,” Momodu said, criticising what he described as the administration’s first major policy decisions. His comments represent his political assessment of the government’s record rather than an independently established measure of Nigeria’s economic condition.

Momodu also criticised the administration over fuel subsidy removal and other economic policies. He claimed that Nigeria had accumulated more revenue and loans while insecurity and poverty had increased. These claims were presented by Momodu as his assessment of the country’s situation.

Tinubu, in his Independence Day speech, defended his administration’s reforms, saying they were necessary to address longstanding economic problems. He said the reforms had produced improvements in economic growth, inflation, foreign reserves, foreign exchange stability and non-oil exports.

The exchange reflects a wider political disagreement over the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms, with supporters of the administration pointing to claimed improvements in key economic indicators while opposition figures continue to raise concerns about living costs, poverty and other challenges. Momodu is a chieftain of the ADC, one of the political parties positioning itself ahead of the 2027 elections.