Presidency has berated the former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his recent comments on President Bola Tinibu and his government.
The special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement he issued on Sunday, February 4, said Atiku has embraced a new role in Nigerian politics, emerging as the chief opposition figure to President Tinubu and his administration.
According to him, following his unsuccessful bid for the presidency, Atiku has taken on the mantle of opposition-in-chief, voicing criticism and offering commentary on various aspects of the government’s policies and actions.
He said in his latest remarks, Atiku criticised the state of the economy under President Tinubu’s leadership, suggesting that the administration has not adequately addressed key challenges and has failed to provide viable policy alternatives.
He said: “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has certainly found a new hobby to keep himself busy, having failed to achieve his lifelong ambition of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is increasingly carving for himself the role of opposition-in-chief to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government.
“However, we notice that the former Vice-President, just like in his political contests, is also doing a poor job of it, offering pedestrian and uninformed interventions on our economy and other matters of public concerns.
“Atiku’s latest diatribe was another uncharitable commentary on the state of the economy and the efforts of the President Bola Tinubu administration in remoulding it for sustained prosperity.
“Nigerians can easily see through the hypocrisy of Alhaji Atiku, who in accusing President Tinubu of poor response to the nation’s challenges and causing pains and despair, didn’t offer any better policy options in his run for the Presidency different from the economic reform agenda being pursued by President Tinubu.
“All the major candidates agreed that the fuel subsidy regime, which had become an albatross on the economy, must end. They all agreed that the multiple exchange rates must be fixed. Where President Tinubu and Atiku differed was in selling NNPC Limited and other national assets. Atiku went for this so he could sell these important national assets to his friends and cronies.
He added: “President Tinubu removed the subsidy from Day One and announced moves to harmonise the exchange rates. Since then, he and his economic team have been working vigorously to harmonise the rates and also end the rampant and criminal arbitrage that the multiple windows allowed.”