The Presidency has responded to recent comments by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing his remarks as “vitriolic,” “unfair,” and “driven more by animosity than objective analysis.”
Reacting to Atiku’s sweeping critique, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga on Thursday said the former Vice President’s statements failed to acknowledge the substantial progress Nigeria has made under Tinubu’s leadership.
“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,” the source stated.
While affirming Atiku’s right to express his opinions in a democracy, the official noted that the former Vice President’s comments contained several inaccuracies.
“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 seen in decades,” the official said.
The source cited the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange rate as long-needed reforms that were widely acknowledged by past administrations including that of the Obasanjo-Atiku era but never implemented.
“Atiku himself promised these reforms in his manifesto. All three major candidates in the 2023 election agreed on the need for them. The difference is that Tinubu won the mandate to act,” he added.
According to the statement, since Tinubu assumed office in 2023, Nigeria has witnessed strong gains in investor confidence, financial stability, and economic indicators. It highlighted the surge in the Nigerian Exchange’s All-Share Index from 50,000 to over 110,000, and the growth in market capitalization to N69.4 trillion.
Addressing Atiku’s claim that government policies are anti-people, the official noted:
“This administration has doubled the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, with some states paying as much as N85,000, thanks to increased federal allocations. There are targeted interventions for low-income households and increased investments in social safety nets.”
On education, the spokesperson dismissed Atiku’s assertion that education is out of reach for the poor:
“That’s entirely false. The government has introduced a Student Loan Scheme that already benefits over 600,000 Nigerian students. The loans cover both tuition and living allowances, though not for elite institutions like Atiku’s American University in Yola.”
Health sector interventions were also highlighted, including investments in primary healthcare and health insurance, as well as efforts to reduce the cost of medicines.
On the issue of borrowing, the official dismissed as “gossip” the claim that the government is seeking loans to fund the 2025 budget.
“The Finance Minister has clarified that the government is only seeking about $1.2 billion in new borrowing. In fact, this administration has paid off the $3.4 billion IMF loan and discontinued Ways & Means deficit financing.”
According to the official, Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has improved, and revenues have increased across federal and state levels.
“It’s ironic that the only thing Atiku praised — the increase in federal allocations — was made possible by the Tinubu administration’s policies, yet he offers no credit.”
“As President Tinubu said in his anniversary statement: inflation is easing, food production is rising, and investment is returning. The foundation for a more just and inclusive Nigeria is being laid,” the official added.
Concluding, the official emphasized the need for a more constructive opposition:
“Atiku and his coalition need not worry about their democratic rights — President Tinubu is a democrat. But criticism must be elevated. If he opposes a policy, he should also propose a better alternative. Nigerians deserve more than partisan rhetoric. They deserve solutions.”