Tinubu's 2nd Year: Atiku Tackled Over "Political Bitterness"

• President Bola Tinubu's special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has tackled former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for having political bitterness and unfair criticism against his boss
• The presidential aide claimed while reacting to Atiku's criticism of Tinubu's administration after spending two years in office
• According to Onanuga, Atiku needed to acknowledge the successes and achievements of Tinubu's administration, although he still lives in Dubai

FCT, Abuja - Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president of Nigeria, has been accused of having "political bitterness" and "unfair" criticism against President Bola Tinubu's administration.

Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, made the allegation while commenting on Atiku's criticism of President Tinubu's government, adding that the former vice president's criticism was influenced by “animosity rather than objective analysis.”

Atiku was accused of being unfair to Tinubu

In a tweet on Thursday, May 29, the presidential aide explained that the former vice president has been unfair to Tinubu's government and the president's personality. He urged Atiku to acknowledge the progress and major achievements of Tinubu's administration in the past two years, considering the fact that he still lives in Dubai.

Onanuga stated that President Tinubu has shown uncommon courage in the last two years with ambitious and audacious institutional and economic reforms that were last seen in decades.

The presidential aide also took a swipe at Atiku's campaign rhetoric, stating that the president never promised that his reforms would be achieved without pain, but that the president was clear that the pains are necessary to restore the country's glory and revive it from the brink of fiscal collapse. He said Tinubu reversed years of unsustainable spending policy and started a foundation for long-term, inclusive economic growth.

Onanuga lists Obasanjo-Atiku Abubakar's failure Tinubu fixed

Onanuga cited the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange system as major bold moves so far. He added that both the Obasanjo-Atiku Abubakar and other successive administrations have acknowledged that it was necessary to remove the two, but failed to implement it.

He also recalled that Atiku also promised such reform in his manifesto and that all three major candidates vowed to do the same, only that President Tinubu carried the responsibility of implementing the reform, being the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

The presidential media aide also countered Atiku's position that Tinubu's policies are "anti-people", adding that the present administration acknowledged that the vulnerable were affected by the policies and has increased investments in the social safety net.

Onanuga's full statement is here:

Analyst sends a message to Atiku on coalition

Reacting to the recent development, Titilope Anifowoshe, a legal practitioner, urged Atiku to ensure he presents a strong coalition with a shared vision and commitment to address pressing issues in the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Anifowoshe made the call in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, saying that the former president's declaration of a coalition ahead of the next general election was a giant move that was strategic in Nigeria's political milieu, which is highly competitive.

Her statement reads:

"For Atiku, a coalition is a tactical necessity in a landscape where individual parties may not have the broad-based support needed to secure victory. However, the success of this coalition will depend not only on political expediency but on a shared vision and commitment to addressing Nigeria's pressing issues, such as economic development, security, and social justice."

Orji Kalu endorses Tinubu's second term bid

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Senate experienced a mild drama on Tuesday, May 27, when Senator Orji Uzor Kalu wore an attire with the inscription "Tinubu for President 2027" to the plenary.

Kalu, a two-term governor of Abia and high-ranking senator from the southeast, explained that his dressing was a public endorsement of President Bola Tinubu's second term bid.

According to Kalu, the southeast caucus of the APC initiated the national endorsement of Tinubu before other groups did the same.

Source: Legit.ng