BAYO Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent comments on the Tinubu administration, describing them as “vitriol” driven by personal animosity rather than objective analysis.
Responding to Atiku’s statement which accused the government of implementing “anti-people” policies, Onanuga said the former vice president “ought to acknowledge the significant progress and positive achievements made by this administration over the past two years.”
“Unless former Vice President Atiku allowed personal grievances to cloud his judgment,” he added, “he should, in good conscience, acknowledge the significant progress… made by this administration.”
He argued that Tinubu’s reforms, such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange rate, are bold moves past governments failed to implement, including the Obasanjo-Atiku administration.
“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,” Onanuga said.
“The removal of the fuel subsidy and unification of the foreign exchange system were steps successive administrations… acknowledged as necessary but failed to implement.”
The presidential aide defended the government’s economic direction, noting that the administration’s policies have helped stabilise public finances and reduce corruption.
“Foreign investors now see Nigeria as an irresistible destination,” he said, citing a rise in the Nigerian Exchange’s All Share Index from 50,000 to over 110,000 points and a market capitalisation jump to N69.4 trillion.
Onanuga also dismissed Atiku’s criticism of the government’s handling of social welfare, describing it as “off the mark.”
He highlighted the introduction of a student loan scheme, saying, “As of the last count, over 600,000 Nigerian students have benefitted… The loans cover the students’ school fees and living allowances.”
He accused Atiku of relying on “social media gossip” to claim that the Tinubu administration was borrowing to fund the 2025 budget.
“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 also touted improvements in fiscal management under Tinubu, including a decline in the debt service-to-revenue ratio from 93% to 60% and the repayment of a $3.4 billion IMF loan from the COVID-19 era.
“This government has admitted honestly that the reforms come with attendant challenges and has worked vigorously to lessen the pain,” Onanuga said, urging critics to offer constructive alternatives rather than “mere partisan rhetoric and cheap talk.”
He called on Atiku and other opposition leaders to “offer solutions, not just criticism,” and assured them that President Tinubu would continue to respect democratic freedoms.
“As an acknowledged democrat, President Tinubu will not curtail their rights or silence them,” Onanuga said. “Nigerians deserve opposition leaders who offer solutions… not just criticism.”
He concluded by asking Nigerians to assess the government based on its actions rather than “rhetoric from those who have had their opportunities to lead and who bungled the chance in years past.”