The Presidency has responded to recent remarks by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform policies, describing Atiku’s proposed ideas as lacking credibility and out of touch with Nigeria’s current economic reality.
The response, issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, defends the Tinubu administration’s approach and critiques Atiku’s past economic management.
In his statement titled “Our Initial Response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,” Onanuga dismissed Atiku’s proposed economic solutions as unproven, noting that Nigerians had already rejected them at the polls in the 2023 presidential election.
He added that, had Atiku been elected, the country might have faced “a worse situation or a regime of cronyism.”
Onanuga pointed to Atiku’s previous tenure as vice president under President Olusegun Obasanjo, alleging that Atiku’s economic policies and approach to privatization were flawed. “As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatization program,” Onanuga stated, also accusing Atiku and Obasanjo of neglecting Nigeria’s public education sector.
Onanuga argued that, while it may be easy to criticize, Tinubu’s economic policies—though challenging in the short term—are already showing positive outcomes.
The adviser contended that Tinubu’s decisive approach addresses long-standing issues such as fuel subsidies and forex market abuses that he said were “siphoning away enormous resources” and could no longer be ignored.
“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing,” Onanuga said, “Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.”
Onanuga also dismissed Atiku’s call for “a human face” to reforms as redundant, claiming that Tinubu’s administration has already prioritized compassionate measures for Nigeria’s most vulnerable.
He emphasized that the government is committed to social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic shifts.
This latest exchange between Atiku and the Presidency underscores the sharp divide over how best to address Nigeria’s economic challenges, with both sides championing vastly different approaches.
