The Presidency has berated the former Minister of Interior and Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, for calling for the resignation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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Earlier, the former Osun State Governor, while delivering a speech at the ongoing ADC National Convention in Abuja, described President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda as a scam, calling for the President to resign.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, who is the special adviser to the President on information and strategy, criticised Aregbesola over the remarks made at what he described as the “illegal elective convention” of the ADC.
“No, Rauf. The real scammers are the politicians inside the SPV called ADC. My attention has been drawn to Rauf Aregbesola’s attack on the Tinubu administration at today’s illegal elective convention of the ADC a party of desperados and power mongers who, to date, have not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria,” Onanuga said.
He added that Aregbesola’s comments reflected opposition narratives on the economy and security.
“At the event, Aregbesola reportedly called on his former boss, mentor, and benefactor to resign, parroting the opposition’s warped narratives about the economy and orchestrated reports of terrorist attacks in some parts of the country.”
Onanuga also questioned Aregbesola’s record in public office, both as governor of Osun State and as Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Unfortunately, Aregbesola did not undertake any honest self-reflection on his own record in public office as governor or as Minister of Interior,” he said.
He claimed that Aregbesola’s tenure in Osun was marked by financial challenges affecting workers and pensioners.
“His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people. Under his half-baked socialist policies, civil servants went unpaid for months, and those who were paid received only a fraction of their salaries.”
“It is to Aregbesola’s infamy that Osun became known as a state receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries. It was worse for pensioners in Aregbesola’s Osun State. Many pensioners who relied on their meagre monthly payments died because they were not paid at all.”
Onanuga further criticised Aregbesola’s time as Minister of Interior, citing security lapses.
“Aregbesola’s second line of attack against President Tinubu is equally hypocritical. As Minister of Interior under President Muhammadu Buhari, his tenure witnessed the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history—including the infamous Kuje Prison escape in Abuja.”
“During his four years, obtaining a Nigerian passport became a nightmarish process, and there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba, and Okitipupa, resulting in over 4,000 inmates escaping to join criminal elements.”
He said it was “ironic” for Aregbesola to criticise the current administration on security issues.
“For someone who failed so woefully to secure our correctional centres and uphold his duties between 2019 and 2023, it is ironic that Aregbesola now seeks to lecture others on insecurity. Maybe he thinks the entire Nigerian population suffers from amnesia.”
Onanuga also urged Nigerians to remain cautious of political narratives.
“Politicians may indulge in cheap talk and easy criticism, but Nigerians must never forget the abysmal records of Rauf and his fellow desperados. Nigerians must remain vigilant, lest power-hungry individuals with no programme attempt to hoodwink them.”
He defended the Tinubu administration’s economic and security policies, saying steps had been taken to ease hardship and improve conditions.
“The Tinubu administration has never shied away from acknowledging that policy reforms have brought unintended consequences, impacting the most vulnerable. However, over the last three years, the government has introduced numerous relief measures to mitigate these effects—including increasing the minimum wage by over 100 per cent, making cash transfers to the vulnerable, assisting small-scale enterprises, and reducing inflation to less than 15 per cent from over 25 per cent at the start of the reforms, with food prices crashing.”
On security, he said the government continues to support the armed forces and intelligence agencies.
“On security, the Tinubu administration has been supporting the military, the DSS and the intelligence agencies. The government has been investing in more and more equipment for the military and has sought assistance from foreign governments to battle the inherited scourge of terrorism and banditry.”
He also defended the administration’s broader policy direction.
“The administration’s Renewed Hope Programme is on track and has received global praise. We have seen the effects of how it has increased GDP and our foreign reserves, made our country the toast of investors, and made our stock market bullish and prosperous.
“No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scammers are the politicians gathered under the SPV called ADC,” he added.
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