The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of steering Nigeria towards full authoritarian rule, alleging that democratic freedoms, institutional accountability and the rule of law have been systematically eroded.
The organisation, on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), described Tinubu as a “modern-day Pharaoh”, arguing that his economic policies and alleged intolerance of public suffering have plunged Nigerians into hardship and turned the country into a land of bondage.
In a statement on Wednesday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the MDPCO criticised the President’s reference to Egypt, saying it reinforced the perception of his administration as one characterised by oppression, economic deprivation and disregard for the plight of ordinary citizens.
It accused Tinubu of refusing to heed Nigerians’ cries over worsening economic conditions, despite having the power to review policies it described as harsh and punitive.
“President Tinubu’s words strike like the oppressor’s whip. His latest inflexible response to suffering Nigerians, coupled with his ill-considered reference to Egypt, sends a clear message,” the organisation said.
It added, “A leader who relentlessly chastised the people with whips for over three years cannot but resort to scorpions if allowed to continue beyond 2027.”
The campaign organisation alleged that Nigeria was increasingly exhibiting authoritarian tendencies, including restrictions on electoral competition, freedom of dissent and institutional accountability.
It cited the 2026 Human Rights Foundation Tyranny Tracker as part of its argument that the country was experiencing a democratic decline.
The MDPCO further accused the All Progressives Congress-led government of treating Nigeria as a personal fiefdom and citizens as subjects, rather than people whose rights and welfare should guide public policy.
According to the organisation, the alleged democratic regression has coincided with worsening economic hardship, rising living costs and growing insecurity across the country.
It said soaring food prices, transport fares and rents had made survival increasingly difficult for millions of households, while declining purchasing power, unemployment and inadequate healthcare funding continued to deepen the suffering.
The opposition party also expressed concern over reports of Nigerians scavenging through dustbins for food and struggling for handouts at public events, describing the situation as a troubling reflection of the country’s economic condition.
On education, the MDPCO condemned tuition increases in federal tertiary institutions, claiming that fees had risen by as much as 300 per cent in some cases.
It argued that the rising cost of education was shutting poor students out of opportunities and forcing many to depend on loans without any assurance of securing jobs after graduation.
The organisation accused Tinubu’s administration of betraying the educational legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whom the President has identified as a political influence, by presiding over what it described as an exclusionary education system.
It contrasted the current situation with Awolowo’s free education policy, arguing that students from disadvantaged backgrounds were increasingly being burdened with the cost of acquiring education.
The MDPCO also accused the Federal Government of failing in its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property, citing persistent attacks by bandits, terrorists and kidnappers on communities, schools, places of worship and highways.
It said the security situation had further undermined public confidence in the government and intensified the sense of uncertainty confronting Nigerians.
Turning to the 2027 presidential election, the organisation insisted that Tinubu could not lead Nigerians out of hardship, using the biblical account of Pharaoh and the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt to frame its opposition to the President’s re-election bid.
“Nigerians are too famished to gird their loins for a journey that leads to nowhere. They know that his ‘promised land’ is a wilderness of hunger, hardship, hopelessness and uncertainty,” it said.
“Of course, Pharaoh cannot lead anyone to the Promised Land.”
The organisation declared that Nigerians must reject what it termed the APC’s “Pharaonic” rule and embrace Makinde’s presidential ambition under the APM platform.
It said Makinde’s “reset Nigeria” agenda offered an alternative built around national renewal, transparency, accountability, improved security, increased productivity and a more efficient public service.
The campaign organisation maintained that the agenda would provide an inclusive framework for rebuilding the economy and restoring public confidence in governance.
It further stated that more than 103 million Nigerians had registered to participate in the 2027 general elections, arguing that the figure reflected growing public determination for political change and support for Makinde’s ambition.
The campaign organisation urged Nigerians to use the 2027 elections to reject what it described as authoritarian governance and begin a new journey towards economic relief, democratic accountability and national renewal.