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Onanuga to Atiku: Tinubu’s achievements speak for themselves, despite your bitterness
The Special Adviser dviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga , has blasted former vice president,-President Atiku Abubakar for his incessant criticism of Tinubu’s administration, saying they were motivated by political acrimony.
Onanuga was responding to Abubakar’s assessment of Tinubu’s second year in office.
In a statement issued Thursday, Onanuga said in two years, Tinubu has carried out the “most ambitious and audacious” economic and institutional reforms not witnessed in the country in decades.
“Atiku’s sweeping criticism is unfair and appears to be driven more by animosity than objective analysis,” the statement reads.
He added that “Unless former Vice President Atiku allowed personal grievances to cloud his judgment, he should, in good conscience, acknowledge the significant progress and positive achievements made by this administration over the past two years.”
Onanuga said Tinubu never promised that his reforms would be painless but was clear that they were necessary to save the country from the brink of fiscal collapse due to unsustainable spending.
He said the removal of subsidy on petrol and unification of the foreign exchange market were policies previous administrations deemed imperative but failed to implement.
He said unlike Abubakar and a few critics, “everyone” agrees the reforms have stabilised government finances, reduced systemic corruption, and attracted direct investments into social programmes and infrastructure.
“Foreign investors now see Nigeria as an irresistible destination. Since 2023, the Nigerian exchange has seen its ASI jump from 50,000 to over 110,000, and market capitalisation has increased to N69.4 trillion, from about N30 trillion before Tinubu’s ascension,” he said.
Faulting Abubakar’s assertion that Tinubu’s policies only favour the rich while punishing the poor, Onanuga said the president has implemented social safety nets, introduced targeted interventions for low-income households and increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.
Onanuga said Abubakar’s remark that education has become out of reach for poor Nigerians is “entirely off the mark”.
“Everyone knows the claim is false. It is just an attempt to throw any muck at Bola Tinubu,” he said.
The presidential spokesperson said since last year, the government has introduced the student loan scheme to ensure that underprivileged children are not denied education because of poverty.
He said at the last count, over 600,000 students have benefitted from the scheme.
Onanuga said the Tinubu administration has made investments in medical care, including revitalising primary health centres, expanding health insurance, and working to reduce the cost of medicines.
He said Abubakar “ignorantly” accused the Tinubu administration of borrowing fresh money to support the 2025 budget, adding that the former vice-president “relied on social media gossip”.
“The finance minister has debunked this as untrue and said that even this year, the government only wants to borrow about $1.2 billion,” Onanuga said.
“Because Atiku does not like Bola Tinubu’s guts, he forgets to credit his administration with some of the fiscal achievements in the last two years. Revenue has increased phenomenally.
“The debt service ratio to revenue has declined from 93 per cent to 60 percent. This government has paid off the $3.4 billion IMF loan obtained in the Covid years.
“The current administration has discontinued Ways & Means deficit financing for the first time in decades.
“State revenue has risen, and subnational governments now have greater resources for local development and to pay their debts.”
Onanuga said criticism must be constructive, adding that Abubakar should also offer a solution when he opposes government policies.
“Otherwise, his opposition statements will be dismissed as mere partisan rhetoric and cheap talk,” he said.
Onanuga urged Nigerians to judge the current administration objectively.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Thursday, deliver judgments in two cases involving the leadership crises rocking the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to information on the official website of the court, the matters, listed under “Political Appeals”, have been added to the cause list for Thursday, April 30, 2026.
While judgment in the ADC matter, marked SC/CV/180/2026, has been fixed for 2 pm, there is no time yet for that if the PDP.
President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of fifteen nominees to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The letter was read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The letter seeks the reconstitution of the commission’s board in line with statutory provisions with the list comprising nominees from diverse professional backgrounds, including the media and legal sectors.
Among the nominees are the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba; and Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been proposed as chairman of the board.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) is to retain his position as the Chief Executive Officer.
Other nominees include Mrs Roseline Tasha, Ambassador Adam Yubak Baku, ACG Felix Lawrence, Mr. Edmund Chinonye, Mr. Chinonye Obiaku (SAN), Oluwakemi Asiwaju Okere-Odo, Professor Adedeji Ogunji, Kingsley Chidozie, Mohammed Adelodu, Maupe Ogun Yusuf, and Otunba Francis Meshioye as members.
Also nominated are Patience Patrick and Hawwa Ibrahim, listed as members.
The President said the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers him to constitute the board subject to Senate confirmation.
He explained that the reconstitution of the board was necessary to enhance the commission’s institutional capacity and enable it to more effectively discharge its mandate to promote and protect human rights across the country.
If confirmed, the new board is expected to play a critical role in reinforcing the NHRC’s oversight functions, particularly at a time of heightened concerns over rights protection and accountability in Nigeria.
Following the presentation of the request, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening and report within two weeks.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed that it investigated the founder of Streams of Joy International, Pastor Jerry Eze, for six months over suspected money laundering before clearing him.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Commission, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja.
According to him, the probe was triggered by intelligence reports and petitions after the commission observed large inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric’s domiciliary account.
“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.
“I said who is this man? Yes, I’ve been hearing about his name, I’ve seen his face a couple of times. I never bothered about what he was doing. I knew he was a pastor.
“So they said this one pastor of streams of joy, go and investigate him. So we went to the investigation. We combed the books,” Olukoyede stated.
The EFCC boss said he subsequently invited Eze for questioning after preliminary findings were compiled by investigators.
He added that upon meeting the cleric and reviewing the findings of the investigation, the commission found no wrongdoing.
“So he came to my office. He told me what happens and all of that, and how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people, and all of that.
“I said, you know what, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,” he stated.
The remark drew applause from the audience, as Eze, who was present at the event, acknowledged the commendation.
He noted that the commission has a responsibility not only to investigate financial crimes but also to recognise individuals found to have acted with integrity.
The EFCC chairman, however, stated that the agency would continue to monitor financial activities where necessary, stressing that its preventive mandate remains critical in tackling corruption.
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