Presidency dismisses Atiku’s economic critique, accuses him of hypocrisy

The Presidency has fired back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of the government’s economic policies, calling his claims “not grounded on facts” and accusing him of hypocrisy.

Responding to Atiku’s statement on Sunday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, refuted several key points.

Earlier, Atiku had argued that Tinubu’s poor response to the nation’s challenges was setting the stage for a prolonged and deeper economic crisis.

Atiku said, “His economic policies, drawn from a so-called renewed hope agenda, are ironically dashing hopes, creating pain and causing despair.”

However, in his response, Onanuga disputed Atiku’s claims, citing “recent comparative cost of living indices” that supposedly show Nigeria boasting the “lowest cost of living in Africa.” This statement directly contradicts Atiku’s assertion of “intense cost of living pressures” faced by Nigerians.

Similarly, the government rejected Atiku’s concerns about a shrinking private sector and multinational companies leaving the country.

READ ALSO:Atiku urges tight security measures as Niger, others exit ECOWAS

Mr Onanuga siad such claims were “not grounded on facts,” suggesting that the private sector remains robust and multinational investment was not declining.

The statement also highlighted the challenges inherited by President Tinubu upon taking office, implying that current economic difficulties are not solely attributable to his administration’s policies. This argument seeks to shift some responsibility onto the previous administration for the current economic climate.

Finally, Mr Onanuga accused Atiku of hypocrisy, claiming he offered no alternative solutions during his own presidential campaign that differed significantly from the current economic reform agenda. This suggests that the government views Atiku’s criticism as politically motivated and lacking in substance.

The statement reads, “Atiku’s claim that the government’s policies have created intense cost of living pressures are also not grounded on facts as recent comparative cost of living indices show that Nigerians still enjoy the lowest cost of living in Africa.

“His claims that the private sector is shrinking and that multinational companies are leaving our companies in ‘droves’ are not grounded on facts.

“Atiku should be honest enough to admit that President Tinubu inherited a weak economy.

“Nigerians can easily see through the hypocrisy of Alhaji Atiku, who in accusing President Tinubu of poor response to the nation’s challenges and causing pains and despair, didn’t offer any better policy options in his run for the Presidency different from the economic reform agenda being pursued by President Tinubu.”

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