An advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Monday slammed President Bola Tinubu over what the group considered deliberate implementation of stifling economic policies to impoverish Nigerians and render them dependent on government palliatives.
These policies, according to HURIWA, are part of a broader plan to establish an authoritarian regime by fostering economic hardship and limiting the ability of the populace to resist or challenge the government.
The National Coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, declared: “This administration’s economic policies are suffocating the Nigerian people, weaponizing poverty to ensure that millions remain poor and dependent on government handouts,” HURIWA stated.
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“It is as if the APC is trying to create a communist-style system where citizens are completely reliant on the state, much like what is seen in China.”
HURIWA also recalled that the APC, during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, had visited China to “understudy” the operations of the Communist Party.
The group expressed concern that the current political tactics being employed by the APC, including its approach to suppressing dissent and controlling internal party dynamics, appear to mirror strategies used by China’s ruling party to maintain a one-party state.
“The APC’s actions resemble those of a communist party. The stifling of internal democracy, the suppression of dissent, and the economic strangulation of the masses are all warning signs that Nigeria is heading down a dangerous path,” HURIWA warned.
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HURIWA urged Nigerians to be vigilant and resist any attempt to undermine the country’s democratic structures. The group called for immediate action to preserve fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech and association, which it believes are under serious threat.
“Nigerians must wake up to the dangers posed by this creeping authoritarianism. The APC must be called to order, and the blueprint it seems to have copied from the Communist Party of China must be discarded if we are to safeguard our democracy,” HURIWA asserted.