The Presidency has dismissed recent criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, insisting that his claims about hunger and economic hardship in the country are misleading and out of touch with current realities.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Monday, said that the current administration is proud of the progress made so far.
According to the statement, Atiku’s comparison of Nigeria’s situation to the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revolution of 1917 was “grossly misleading.”
It failed to reflect the positive economic progress being recorded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Citing recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Presidency noted that headline inflation had declined for the fifth consecutive month, while Nigeria also recorded a significant trade surplus, with non-oil exports now contributing almost equally to the country’s trade balance as crude oil at a ratio of 48:52.
It further disclosed that Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves had risen to nearly $42 billion, up from $32 billion when President Tinubu took office. According to the statement, the administration has cleared over $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to international airlines.
The Presidency added that under Tinubu’s leadership, the country is witnessing unprecedented revenues, enabling states to pay salaries and gratuities promptly while also funding capital and social projects.
“Nigeria is moving in the right direction,” the statement read. “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.”
It stressed that after two years and five months in office, the Tinubu administration is proud of the progress being made through bold reforms, adding that Nigerians “can see and feel the positive changes taking place across the nation.”
