Presidency rebukes Atiku’s economic critique, defends Tinubu’s bold reforms
By Kunle Sanni
The Presidency has dismissed recent criticisms from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar concerning President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, arguing that Atiku lacks both the ideas and resolve necessary to address Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a Sunday night statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the Presidency asserted that Atiku’s tenure in government and his vague reform proposals reveal an incapacity to lead Nigeria effectively.
Atiku, who ran as a presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, recently shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter) outlining changes he claimed he would have pursued instead. His remarks included critiques of Tinubu’s economic agenda.
Responding to these comments, Onanuga stated that Nigerians had already dismissed Atiku’s untested ideas in the 2023 election.
The statement continued, “We have just read a statement attributed to former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he attempts to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms while promoting his untested agenda as a better option.”
“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked clarity, were rejected by Nigerians at the polls in 2023. If he had won, we believe he would have driven Nigeria into a worse crisis or a regime of cronyism,” Onanuga said.
The statement highlighted Atiku’s previous proposal to sell national assets, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), an idea that the All Progressives Congress (APC) claims was unpopular with the public.
The statement also targeted Atiku’s time as vice president from 1999 to 2003, accusing him of overseeing a “questionable privatization program” and neglecting public universities while he and then-President Olusegun Obasanjo established private institutions.
Onanuga remarked, “Talk is cheap,” adding that it’s easy to “pontificate” about reforms without credible, actionable plans.
The Presidency further defended Tinubu’s swift actions to address “severe challenges,” specifically the removal of fuel subsidies and efforts to curb inefficiencies in the foreign exchange market. Onanuga explained that these initiatives are essential to stabilize the economy.
He contrasted Tinubu’s approach with Atiku’s call for gradual reforms, suggesting that such an approach reflects a lack of understanding about the magnitude of problems inherited by the Tinubu administration.
Although Atiku has urged “empathy” in implementing reforms, the Presidency emphasized that Tinubu’s administration is already prioritizing social safety nets and targeted assistance for the most vulnerable citizens affected by these economic changes.
Onanuga concluded by stating that Tinubu’s decisive measures are long overdue, asserting that these actions should have been implemented during Atiku’s own time in government.
