Aregbesola’s Record Disqualifies Him From Criticising Tinubu – Presidency

The Presidency on Tuesday said the record of former governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, disqualifies him from criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or calling for his resignation.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this in response to enquiries by LEADERSHIP following Aregbesola’s remarks at the National Convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja, where he urged President Tinubu to resign and described the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” as a “renewed scam.”

Onanuga said his attention had been drawn to Aregbesola’s comments at what he described as an “illegal elective convention” of the ADC, which he further characterised as “a party of desperados and power mongers” that, according to him, has not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria.

He accused Aregbesola of parroting what he called opposition narratives about the economy and “orchestrated reports of terrorist attacks” in parts of the country.

The presidential aide said Aregbesola failed to undertake honest self-reflection on his own record in public office as governor of Osun State and as Minister of Interior.

According to him, Aregbesola’s eight years as governor were characterised by hardship, with civil servants going unpaid for months and, in some cases, receiving only a fraction of their salaries.

He added that Osun State, under Aregbesola, became known, in his words, as “a state receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries,” while pensioners were worse affected.

Onanuga further alleged that many pensioners who depended on their monthly payments died because they were not paid.

He said Aregbesola’s tenure left behind a legacy of unpaid salaries, financial recklessness, abandoned projects and policies that brought the state to ruin.

According to him, Aregbesola’s successor, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, worked to clean up much of the situation, while the current administration in the state is still dealing with the consequences.

The presidential spokesman also criticised Aregbesola’s tenure as Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that it witnessed what he described as the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history, including the Kuje prison escape in Abuja.

He said there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba and Okitipupa, resulting in over 4,000 inmates escaping.

Onanuga added that obtaining a Nigerian passport became “a nightmarish process” during Aregbesola’s time in office.

“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,” he said.

He accused Aregbesola and other politicians of engaging in what he described as “cheap talk and easy criticism,” warning Nigerians not to forget what he called their “abysmal records.”

Onanuga further alleged that such politicians were “weaponising isolated terrorist attacks” as if the problem started with the current administration.

Defending the Tinubu administration, he said the government had not shied away from acknowledging that its policy reforms came with unintended consequences, particularly for vulnerable Nigerians.

He, however, said the administration had introduced measures to mitigate the impact, including increasing the minimum wage by over 100 per cent, cash transfers to vulnerable groups, support for small-scale enterprises and efforts to reduce inflation.

According to him, inflation had dropped to less than 15 per cent from over 25 per cent at the start of the reforms, while food prices were easing.

On security, Onanuga said the administration had continued to support the military, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other intelligence agencies, including investment in equipment and seeking assistance from foreign governments to tackle terrorism and banditry.

He insisted that the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” remains on track and has received global praise, adding that it has improved GDP, strengthened foreign reserves, attracted investors and boosted the stock market.

“No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scammers are the politicians gathered under the SPV called ADC,” he said.

Aregbesola had earlier, at the ADC convention in Abuja, called on President Tinubu to resign over what he described as persistent economic hardship and rising insecurity, while also criticising political actors over what he termed the weakening of opposition parties.