The Presidency has hit back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his warning that worsening hunger in Nigeria could fuel unrest in the country.
Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement released on Monday, dismissed Atiku’s claims as “grossly misleading” and “out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in the country.”
Onanuga criticised Atiku for drawing comparisons between Nigeria’s current situation and historical revolutions, including the French Revolution of 1789 and the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. “Their latest statement demonstrates a disconnect from the authentic Nigerian reality,” he said, citing recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
According to Onanuga, the NBS reported that headline inflation declined for the fifth consecutive month in August, while over the weekend, the bureau also recorded a trade surplus with non-oil exports now contributing nearly 48 per cent of Nigeria’s trade balance. He further noted that the country’s foreign exchange reserves are approaching $42 billion, up from $32 billion when President Tinubu assumed office, with more than $7 billion in arrears cleared, including $800 million owed to airlines.
The Presidency also highlighted that states are now able to pay salaries and gratuities promptly while still having surplus funds for capital and social projects, describing these achievements as unprecedented. “Nigeria is moving in the right direction,” Onanuga said, adding that Atiku and his party remain “stuck in the past, fixated on doomsday scenarios and revolutionary rhetoric.”
The statement argued that many of the economic challenges currently facing the country stemmed from mismanagement during the PDP administration, when Atiku served as Vice President. Onanuga said that President Tinubu and his team are working relentlessly to correct these issues through bold reforms, emphasizing that after just two years and five months in office, measurable progress is being made.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Monday through his media office, had warned that hunger and poverty remain pervasive in the country despite the government’s claims of reform. He argued that worsening economic conditions were pushing citizens toward criminality, insecurity, and social unrest.
“The masses of Nigerians are progressively wallowing in misery and poverty under the watch of the Tinubu-led APC administration,” Atiku said. He recalled global uprisings such as the French Revolution, the 1917 Russian Revolution, and the Arab Spring, attributing them to widespread deprivation and frustration, and noted that the ENDSARS protests in Nigeria were similarly fuelled by hunger and government insensitivity.
Atiku maintained that two years into the Tinubu administration, “there are still no manifest signs” that the government is capable of addressing hunger and poverty. He insisted that reforms must have a human face and prioritize citizens’ welfare. “Whatever reform the Tinubu government might claim to be undertaking, the point remains that food insecurity is a daily occurrence nationwide,” he said, adding that the poor continue to suffer under ill-advised policies.
Since assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu has rolled out major economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira. While these policies have faced criticism for exacerbating living conditions, the Presidency maintains that they are necessary for long-term stability and economic growth.
Atiku, propaganda has not won election before and will never win. The possibility of you becoming Nigeria’s president is 0%
Who is actually disconnected from the people who are bearing the burden and hopelessness. Bayo onanuga is very much disconnected. Anguish every where from south to the north. Truth is like pregnancy that Cannot be covered with both hands. Roads from south to north are in very sorry state making traveling hellish.