In a pointed response to former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, the Presidency has questioned the Opposition Leader's track record on economic matters, describing it as "tainted" and emphasising the necessity of the Tinubu administration's reform agenda.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday night, the Presidency defended its policy decisions, pointing out that the former vice president's own economic approach was neither forgotten nor forgiven by Nigerians.
"Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku's antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo's government," Onanuga said.
He pointed to Atiku's role in what he described as a "questionable privatisation programme" and noted that the former Vice President and his principal Obasanjo "demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system" by establishing their own universities while public institutions struggled.
"Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival's programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties," he added .
Onanuga argued that Atiku's recent criticisms lacked credibility, given his track record. "Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends," he said, asserting that this pledge was remembered by voters who rejected Abubakar's bid in 2023.
"First, Alhaji Atiku's ideas, which lacked details, were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll."
He also took aim at aAtiku's calls for a gradual approach to economic reforms, which he suggested would soften the impact of the policies on ordinary Nigerians. The Presidency, however, maintained that gradual reforms would be insufficient to address the country's challenges.
"His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu," Onanuga noted, describing the economic situation Tinubu inherited as one demanding decisive action.
The government's response highlighted that immediate action was required to tackle issues such as unsustainable fuel subsidies and arbitrage in the foreign exchange market.
"No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically," Onanuga asserted.
He emphasized that the Tinubu administration was prioritising long-term gains over short-term comfort.
While acknowledging Atiku's calls for reforms with a "human face," the Presidency affirmed that Tinubu's policies already prioritised support for vulnerable Nigerians.
"We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration's focus," Onanuga said.
He cited the government's emphasis on social safety nets and targeted assistance for those most affected by recent economic adjustments.
The Presidency characterised Atiku's criticisms as politically motivated.
"It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser," Onanuga stated.
He reiterated the government's confidence in its chosen path: "Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do."
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LEADERSHIP earlier reports that the former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, urged President Tinubu to consider his recommendations for reviving Nigeria's struggling economy.
In a statement shared via his X handle (formerly Twitter), on Sunday, while Atiku expressed support for the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the naira exchange rate, he criticised the manner of the implementation of the policies by the Tinubu administration.
Atiku highlighted that while he is not in office, his suggestions were in the interest of the Nigerian people even as he accused the Tinubu administration of subjecting citizens to "excruciating pain" due to what he described as "trial-and-error economic policies."
