Presidency slams Atiku over hunger remarks, calls it cheap talk

The Presidency has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic management.

It described his comments on hunger and poverty as misleading and disconnected from Nigeria’s current realities.

Atiku, in a statement on Monday through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, had warned that worsening hardship could trigger social unrest comparable to the French Revolution, the 1917 Russian Revolution, or the Arab Spring.

He argued that more than two years into Tinubu’s presidency, “there are no manifest signs that this government is capable of addressing the grim issue of severe hunger staring the poor in the face.”

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, responding in a statement on X, rejected Atiku’s comments as cheap talk, insisting that recent economic data points to progress.

“Talk is cheap. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in our country.

“Their claim that hunger is ravaging Nigeria, and their comparison of our situation to the unrest in France before the 1789 Revolution or the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, is grossly misleading.

“Their latest statement demonstrates a disconnect from the authentic Nigerian reality, as recent data tells a different story,” Onanuga said.

He described Atiku’s comparison of Nigeria’s present situation to historical revolutions as “grossly misleading,” noting that recent reports from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other indicators show improvement.

“Just today, the 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,” Onanuga stated.

According to him, foreign reserves have risen to nearly $42 billion, compared to $32 billion when Tinubu took office, while more than $7 billion in arrears—including $800 million owed to airlines—have been cleared.

He also said states are now receiving unprecedented revenues, enabling them to pay salaries and gratuities on time while still funding capital and social projects.

The presidency further argued that many of today’s challenges were inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) era, when Atiku served as Vice President

He claimed Tinubu’s administration is correcting years of “economic mismanagement” with bold reforms.

“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,” Onanuga added.