This Is A Jaundiced View – Presidency Hits Back At Afenifere Over Claims Of Economic Hardship, Democratic Decline

The Presidency has responded to claims by a faction of the Afenifere group that President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies have led to economic hardship, democratic decline, and social regression.

Naijaonpoint reports that the pan-Yoruba group had lamented that Tinubu’s government’s midterm report showed that every human development and sociopolitical index had regressed.

However, speaking on Tuesday in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, the presidency stated the criticism was a deliberate attempt to find fault in Tinubu’s administration.

Dare stated that the group’s criticism is predicated on a jaundiced view that echoes the sentiment of opposition politicians.

The Presidency described the group’s assessment as “deceitful,” “prejudiced,” and “not grounded in facts.”

The statement reads in part, “The rebellious Afenifere claims that President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s performance over the past two years has witnessed a regression in human development, economic mismanagement, and democratic backsliding.

“This is a jaundiced view, echoing the view of opposition politicians, one of whom the group supported in the 2023 election. A balanced assessment based on available data reveals a more objective and progressive picture, with significant achievements amid the challenges expected from a country like Nigeria with decades-old problems.”

Countering the group’s claims, the Presidency argued that the floatation of the naira and the unification of the exchange rates had boosted foreign reserves to $38.1 billion by 2024 and achieved a trade surplus of ₦18.86 trillion for the country.

“Under the Tinubu administration, Nigeria’s annual inflation rate fell to 23.71% in April 2025 from 24.23% in the prior month. Food inflation, the most significant component of the inflation basket, remained elevated but moderated to 21.26% from 21.79%.

While these figures indicate stabilisation, the immediate impact on ordinary Nigerians is not lost. The government’s cash transfer programme, which provides funds to the poorest households and benefits over 5.7 million households, is a credible outreach,” the Presidency said.

The Presidency listed the Presidential Loan and Grant Scheme, the Students’ Loan Scheme, NELFUND, the increase in the minimum wage and the NYSC allowance as some of President Tinubu’s gains.

“The administration also recorded over $10 Billion FX debt cleared, Federal account allocation to states growing by 60%, enabling more local development projects, N50 billion released to end the perennial ASUU strikes, and over 1,000 PHCs revitalised nationwide with an additional 5,500 undergoing upgrades,” the Presidency added.