The Nigerian presidency and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar engaged in a war of words on Thursday over the performance of the present administration.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Thursday marked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second anniversary.
Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had accused the Tinubu administration of deepening poverty and delivering more hardship than any government in Nigeria’s history.
“No previous administration has inflicted this level of hardship on the masses while showing such disregard for transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership,” Atiku said in a statement signed and released by his spokesperson, Paul Ibe. He condemned what he described as wasteful public spending and economic mismanagement under the current government.
In a response issued later that evening, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Atiku’s criticism as baseless and politically motivated.
“Atiku’s sweeping criticism is unfair and appears to be driven more by animosity than objective analysis,” Onanuga wrote.
“Unless former Vice President Atiku allowed personal grievances to cloud his judgment, he should, in good conscience, acknowledge the significant progress and positive achievements made by this administration over the past two years.”
He accused the former vice president of ignoring the reforms Tinubu has implemented to stabilise the economy, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification—initiatives he said Atiku himself had previously supported in his campaign manifesto.
“Unless he still lives in Dubai, he ought to admit that in just two years, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has embarked on the most ambitious and audacious economic and institutional reforms ever seen in decades,” Onanuga wrote.
He claimed these policies have curbed systemic corruption, attracted foreign investments, and improved key economic indicators such as market capitalization and government revenue.
Defending Tinubu’s approach, Onanuga continued: “The Tinubu administration… has increased investments in social safety nets, introduced targeted interventions for low-income households, and more than doubled the minimum wage, from N30k to N70k… Some states even pay up to N85k to their workers.”
He also countered Atiku’s remarks on education, citing the student loan scheme:
“Since last year, the government has introduced the Student Loan Scheme… over 600,000 Nigerian students have benefitted.”
Atiku’s claim that the government was recklessly borrowing to fund the 2025 budget was also rebuffed.
“The Finance Minister has debunked this as untrue and said that even this year, the government only wants to borrow about $1.2 billion,” Onanuga noted.
He concluded by urging the opposition to offer constructive criticism rather than partisan rhetoric.
“Nigerians deserve opposition leaders who offer solutions, not just criticism.”
But Atiku’s camp swiftly pushed back. In a counter-statement, his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, accused the presidency of dodging the core issues affecting Nigerians.
“Your lengthy tirade — laced with deflection and bitterness — does little to change the painful reality Nigerians live through daily under Bola Tinubu’s presidency: crushing inflation, mass layoffs, policy chaos, and deepening poverty,” Shaibu stated.
He maintained that Atiku’s message echoed public sentiment.
“It was factual. And more importantly, it echoed the voice of ordinary Nigerians — not whispered from Dubai, but shouted from markets, fuel queues, and jobless homes across the country.”
“Let’s be clear: removing fuel subsidy without safeguards is not reform — it’s reckless. Unifying FX without a strategy is not bold — it’s blind… Calling the resulting suffering a ‘necessary sacrifice’ is not leadership — it’s cruelty dressed in spin.”
He dismissed the administration’s narrative of economic progress.
“You boast of reforms that even foreign investors approach with hesitation… Student loans do not fix broken universities. And a so-called minimum wage increase… is hardly a victory worth clapping for.”
Shaibu also took aim at the president’s overseas trips.
“As citizens struggle to survive, President Tinubu chooses to govern Nigeria from Paris — a foreign capital — at public expense…in fact, he bills the poor for his luxury,” he said.
“Governance is not a PR war. It’s service. It’s accountability. It’s results. And on those fronts, Bayo, you and your principal are failing — loudly and expensively.”