Presidency hits Atiku, says opposition fixated on ‘doomsday rhetoric’

By Kunle Sanni –

The Presidency has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his party of being stuck in the past and fixated on “doomsday scenarios and revolutionary rhetoric,” dismissing his recent criticism of the state of the nation.

Atiku, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), described the level of hunger in the country as unacceptable, particularly among the underprivileged and downtrodden.

Responding to Atiku’s statement, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the opposition leader’s claim that hunger was ravaging the country, along with comparisons to pre-revolutionary France and Russia, was misleading and disconnected from Nigeria’s current realities.

“Talk is cheap. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in our country,” Onanuga said.

He pointed to new figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), showing headline inflation declining for the fifth consecutive month in August and a record trade surplus, with non-oil exports now contributing nearly as much as crude oil at 48:52 per cent.

According to Onanuga, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have risen to almost $42 billion, up from $32 billion when President Bola Tinubu assumed office, while more than $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to airlines, have been cleared.

The Presidency credited Tinubu’s reforms with boosting government revenues, enabling states to pay salaries and pensions promptly while funding capital and social projects.

“Nigeria is moving in the right direction. In contrast, Atiku and his party remain stuck in the past, fixated on doomsday scenarios and revolutionary rhetoric,” Onanuga said