May 29, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has launched a scathing counterattack against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing Atiku of spreading falsehoods and engaging in partisan rhetoric.
In a statement posted on X by the President’ SA on Thursday, said Atiku’s sweeping criticism of the Tinubu administration is driven more by animosity than objective analysis.
“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,” Onanuga said.
Onanuga highlighted several achievements of the Tinubu administration, including the stabilization of government finances, curbing of systemic corruption, and increased investments in social safety nets and infrastructure.
He noted that foreign investors now see Nigeria as an irresistible destination, citing the Nigerian Exchange’s All Share Index jump from 50,000 to over 110,000 and market capitalization increase to N69.4 trillion.
“Everyone agrees that the reforms have stabilised government finances, curbed systemic corruption, and enabled direct investments into social programmes and infrastructure,” Onanuga said.
Onanuga also addressed Atiku’s claim that the government’s policies are “anti-people,” saying that the administration has increased investments in social safety nets, introduced targeted interventions for low-income households, and more than doubled the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.
He added that some states even pay up to N85,000 to their workers, a feat made possible by increased federal allocations.
Regarding education, Onanuga said Atiku’s claim that education is out of reach for poor Nigerians is false, citing the Student Loan Scheme introduced by the government to ensure that underprivileged children are not denied education because of poverty.
He noted that over 600,000 Nigerian students have benefited from the loans.
Onanuga also debunked Atiku’s claim that the government is borrowing fresh money to support the 2025 budget, saying that the Finance Minister has debunked this as untrue.
He added that the government has made significant fiscal achievements, including increasing revenue, reducing debt service ratio to revenue, and paying off the $3.4 billion IMF loan obtained in the Covid years.
“Criticism must be elevated and constructive. When Atiku opposes government policies, he should also offer a solution. Otherwise, his opposition statements will be dismissed as mere partisan rhetoric and cheap talk,” Onanuga said.
