Breaking: Presidency Drags Atiku, Obi As Dangote Speaks on Tinubu's Policy
- Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu's special adviser on information, fired back at Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi over their criticism of the president's fuel subsidy removal
- Onanuga referenced a video by Aliko Dangote, in which the billionaire praised Tinubu's economic reforms, including subsidy removal and exchange rate liberalisation
- Both Atiku and Peter Obi are leading opposition candidates challenging Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election
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The presidency has invoked the name of Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, to push back against opposition politicians who have criticised President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms.
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said on Monday, September 14, that Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi should take note of the public endorsement Dangote gave Tinubu's policies, arguing that calls to reverse those policies make no sense.
Source: Twitter
"Atiku and Peter Obi, who badly want President Tinubu's job, should listen to the encomium Aliko Dangote has showered on Tinubu and his policies. It doesn't make any sense for any politician to advocate a reversal of the policies that are making Nigeria great."
Dangote's words that sparked the presidency's response
Onanuga's remarks came in response to a video shared by Dangote on X, in which the Dangote Group chairman credited Tinubu's administration with creating the conditions that made his oil refinery viable.
"I want to thank President Tinubu for taking bold moves by removing the subsidy, by democratising the exchange rate, and also for this refinery," Dangote said in the clip.
The presidency used this statement to directly counter Atiku and Obi, both of whom have been vocal critics of Tinubu's removal of the petrol subsidy, a policy introduced in May 2023 that led to a sharp rise in fuel prices across Nigeria.
2027 election context
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are two of the most prominent figures expected to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. Atiku, a former vice president, is the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, while Obi, who ran on the Labour Party ticket in 2023, was ratified as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress on May 29, 2026, having left the ADC earlier that month.
Both candidates have used the economic hardship that followed the subsidy removal as a central plank of their criticism of the current administration. The presidency's decision to cite Dangote's endorsement appears aimed at blunting that argument ahead of the campaign season.
See Onanuga's tweet on X here:
2027 Elections: Atiku dismisses age concerns
Legit.ng earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar addressed questions about his age in a BBC Hausa interview published on Friday, pushing back against critics who raised concerns.
The ADC presidential candidate challenged the interviewer's premise by asking whether he appeared old enough to warrant the question.
Atiku also responded to claims that he had become a stumbling block to opposition coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 election.
Source: Legit.ng
