The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has fired former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over recent comments about the present administration.
In a statement on Monday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that Atiku and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in Nigeria, adding that ‘talk is cheap.’
He described Atiku’s claim that hunger is ravaging Nigeria, and their comparison of the country’s situation to the unrest in France before the 1789 Revolution or the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, as grossly misleading.
Onanuga said: “Their latest statement demonstrates a disconnect from the authentic Nigerian reality, as recent data tells a different story. Just today, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its figures for August, showing that headline inflation has declined for the fifth consecutive month.
“Over the weekend, the NBS also reported a record trade surplus, with the contribution of non-oil exports to our trade balance now nearly matching that of crude oil at a ratio of 48:52 per cent.
“Our foreign exchange reserves are on the rise, now approaching $42 billion. When President Tinubu assumed office, reserves stood at $32 billion, much of it encumbered. This administration has since cleared over $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to airlines.”
He pointed out that under President Tinubu, Nigeria is recording unprecedented revenues.
According to the presidential spokesperson, states are now able to pay salaries and gratuities promptly and still have surplus funds for capital and social projects – an achievement not previously witnessed at this scale.
Onanuga said: “Nigeria is moving in the right direction. In contrast, Atiku and his party remain stuck in the past, fixated on doomsday scenarios and revolutionary rhetoric.
“Ironically, many of the challenges we face today stem from the economic mismanagement during the PDP years, when Atiku was Vice President. President Tinubu and his team are working relentlessly to correct those errors, with bold reforms.
“After just two years and five months in office, we are proud of the progress being made under President Tinubu’s leadership.
“Atiku and his allies may choose to ignore these gains, but Nigerians can see and feel the positive changes taking place across the nation.”