Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy has issued a strong rebuttal to recent criticisms made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Onanuga in a statement posted on his social media platforms described Atiku’s remarks as unfair and driven by personal animosity rather than objective analysis.
Reacting to Atiku’s condemnation of Tinubu’s economic policies and overall performance, Onanuga said the former vice president had failed to acknowledge the substantial reforms and progress achieved under the current administration over the past two years.
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“Unless former Vice President Atiku allowed personal grievances to cloud his judgement, he should, in good conscience, acknowledge the significant progress and positive achievements made by this administration,” Onanuga said.
He defended the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market—initiatives he claimed past administrations, including the Obasanjo-Atiku era, failed to implement despite recognising their necessity.
“During the campaign, Tinubu never promised that the reforms would be painless. But he was clear they were necessary to rescue the country from the brink of fiscal collapse,” he stated.
Onanuga highlighted key economic milestones under Tinubu, including a sharp rise in the Nigerian Exchange’s All-Share Index, from 50,000 to over 110,000, and a growth in market capitalisation from approximately ₦30 trillion to ₦69.4 trillion.
He also refuted Atiku’s assertion that government policies are anti-people, noting that the administration increased investments in social safety nets, introduced targeted interventions for vulnerable groups, and more than doubled the minimum wage, from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, with some states reportedly paying as high as ₦85,000.
Addressing Atiku’s claims about the inaccessibility of education, Onanuga cited the Student Loan Scheme as a landmark intervention, saying it had already benefited over 600,000 students.
“The loans cover school fees and living allowances,” he noted, adding that the scheme currently excludes private institutions such as Atiku’s own American University in Yola.
Onanuga also accused the former vice president of spreading misinformation about the administration’s borrowing practices.
He clarified that the government’s 2025 budget was not reliant on new loans, as allegedly suggested by Atiku, and revealed that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio had dropped from 93% to 60% under Tinubu’s leadership.
Furthermore, he disclosed that the Tinubu administration had repaid a $3.4 billion COVID-19-era IMF loan and ended decades-long reliance on Ways and Means deficit financing.
While admitting that the reforms had brought challenges, Onanuga insisted the government was making concerted efforts to mitigate the impact.
He quoted the president’s recent anniversary address, stating that inflation was easing, food production had improved, and investor confidence had returned.
He urged the opposition to embrace constructive criticism rather than political rhetoric.
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“When Atiku opposes government policies, he should also offer a solution,” Onanuga stated. “Otherwise, his opposition statements will be dismissed as mere partisan rhetoric and cheap talk.”
He said Nigerians should judge the Tinubu administration based on its performance, not the opinions of those who, according to Onanuga, “had their opportunities to lead and bungled the chance.”
