Presidency Accuses Atiku of Willful Blindness to Tinubu’s Reforms, Defends Borrowing Plans

The presidency has fired back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of ignoring visible progress under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and attempting to mislead Nigerians with baseless criticisms.

In a statement released Friday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the presidency described Atiku’s recent remarks as driven by bitterness rather than facts. Onanuga was responding to Atiku’s Thursday statement, in which the opposition leader branded President Tinubu “one of the most incompetent leaders” in Nigeria’s history.

“Atiku’s sweeping criticism is unfair and appears to be driven more by animosity than objective analysis,” Onanuga said.

Dismissing Atiku’s allegations about new borrowing, Onanuga stated that the former VP had “ignorantly relied on social media gossip” to claim that Tinubu was recklessly seeking fresh loans for the 2025 budget. According to the presidency, the Minister of Finance had already clarified that the government only plans to borrow around $1.2 billion this year and not for the reasons Atiku suggested.

Responding to accusations that Tinubu’s policies are “anti-people,” the statement emphasized several reforms undertaken to support ordinary Nigerians. These include expanded social safety programs, targeted support for low-income households, and the more than twofold increase in the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.

“Inflation is easing, food production is rising, investments are returning, and the foundation for a more prosperous, just, and inclusive Nigeria is being laid,” the statement noted. “Only those who choose to play blind will fail to see these gains.”

The presidency also took a jab at Atiku’s long stays abroad, suggesting that he might be out of touch with current realities in Nigeria.

“Unless Mr. Abubakar still lives in Dubai, he ought to admit that in just two years, President Tinubu has embarked on the most ambitious and audacious economic and institutional reforms seen in decades,” the statement added.

Concluding, the presidency urged Nigerians to disregard politicians “who bungled the chance in years past, sold national assets for pittance, and shortchanged their compatriots.”

“Nigerians deserve opposition leaders who offer solutions, not just empty criticism,” Onanuga said.