The Presidency has reacted to recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu-led administration by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of peddling falsehoods and failing to acknowledge the significant reforms undertaken by the current government.
The former vice president who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the policies of President Tinubu following the achievements reeled out by the President on Thursday to commemorate his two years in office.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency described Atiku’s comments as “vitriolic,” “unfair,” and “motivated more by personal animosity than facts.”
Onanuga said unless the former Vice President allowed personal grievances to cloud his judgment, he should, in good conscience, acknowledge the significant progress and positive achievements made by Tinubu’s administration over the past two years.
He stressed that Atiku, who served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007, had his opportunity to implement major reforms but failed to do so.
The presidential spokesman said Tinubu, in contrast, has undertaken bold economic decisions to rescue Nigeria from a looming fiscal collapse.
“The removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the forex market were steps your administration knew were necessary but failed to act on. President Tinubu did not just talk about them—he implemented them,” Onanuga said.
He accused Atiku of ignoring the successes of the administration’s reforms, which he said have stabilised government finances, curbed corruption, and attracted significant foreign investment.
He pointed to the surge in the Nigerian Exchange’s All Share Index, rising from 50,000 to over 110,000, and a jump in market capitalisation from ₦30 trillion to ₦69.4 trillion.
Responding to Atiku’s claim that Tinubu’s policies were “anti-people,” Onanuga said the government has increased social investments, introduced a Student Loan Scheme benefiting over 600,000 students, and more than doubled the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, with some states now paying as high as ₦85,000.
Onanuga also dismissed Atiku’s comments on borrowing, noting that the Finance Minister has clarified that the 2025 budget was not being funded with fresh loans as alleged.
“Because Atiku does not like Bola Tinubu’s guts, he forgets to credit his administration with the fiscal achievements of the last two years,” he said. “Revenue has increased, the debt service ratio has dropped from 93% to 60%, and the $3.4 billion IMF loan from the COVID-19 era has been paid off.”
The Presidency maintained that while reforms have come with some pains, they are already yielding visible results in inflation, food production, and investor confidence.
Onanuga urged the former Vice President and his political allies to offer constructive criticism and practical alternatives rather than what he called “cheap talk and partisan rhetoric.”
“Nigerians deserve opposition leaders who offer solutions, not just criticism. Atiku had his chance. He should stop misleading Nigerians,” the statement concluded.
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