ABUJA, Nigeria — A senior aide to President Bola Tinubu has dismissed as “deceitful” and “jaundiced” a statement by a faction of the Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere criticizing the administration’s midterm performance, arguing instead that Nigeria is firmly on a path to recovery.
In a strongly worded response issued Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications to the President, accused the Afenifere faction of “trading in deceit instead of objectivity” and failing to acknowledge “significant achievements” under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Under President Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria’s comeback story is firmly underway,” Onanuga said. “A balanced assessment based on available data reveals a more objective and progressive picture.”
The rebuttal comes after a statement from a faction of Afenifere claimed Tinubu’s two years in office had been marked by “economic mismanagement,” “democratic backsliding,” and “regression in human development.”
Onanuga countered that the government had implemented tough but necessary reforms—such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate—to address long-standing structural problems.
“These were not ‘unforced errors,’ as the group alleges, but essential steps to restore fiscal health,” he said, noting that subsidy removal alone saved Nigeria over $10 billion in 2023 and contributed to a 60% rise in monthly federal allocations to states.
He also cited macroeconomic indicators, including inflation moderation to 23.17% in April 2025 and GDP growth of 4.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024, calling them evidence of “stabilisation with promise.”
Among other reforms highlighted were:
Over 900,000 beneficiaries of a presidential loan and grant scheme
N75 billion disbursed for state and local food palliatives
A tripling of NYSC stipends from N33,000 to N77,000
A record 4,111 EFCC convictions and over N364 billion in asset recoveries in 2024
Completion of over 1,000 primary healthcare center upgrades nationwide
Addressing allegations that the administration has failed to cut governance costs or implement the long-standing Oronsaye Report, Onanuga said progress is underway. He pointed to a drop in Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio from nearly 100% in 2022 to under 40% by 2024.
He also dismissed accusations of democratic erosion and authoritarianism as “unsupported and exaggerated,” citing recent Supreme Court rulings favoring opposition parties in states like Kano and Plateau as evidence of judicial independence.
“The administration’s record on security and democratic rights should not be casually smeared,” he added. “The claim of totalitarianism is unfounded.”
Onanuga acknowledged that economic hardship persists for many Nigerians but insisted that “difficult reforms are laying the groundwork for future stability.”
“From stabilising the naira to expanding digital infrastructure and agricultural support, this government is tackling Nigeria’s hydra-headed challenges head-on,” he said.
He concluded by urging critics to “engage constructively” and “counter disinformation,” calling the administration’s progress a “comeback story” that is “not yet complete—but firmly underway.”
