The Presidency’s statement accused Atiku who unsuccessfully sought the presidency six times of attempting to undermine his administration. It labelled Atiku’s economic proposals as "grand illusions and fantasies."


Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice-President and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has dismissed accusations from the President Bola Tinubu's camp that he is envious of the president.

SaharaReporters had reported that in a statement released on Sunday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information & Strategy, asserted that Atiku's plans lack originality and fail to address the country's pressing economic realities.

The Presidency’s statement accused Atiku who unsuccessfully sought the presidency six times of attempting to undermine his administration. It labelled Atiku’s economic proposals as "grand illusions and fantasies."

The statement went on to say that Atiku's arrogance and lack of viable solutions to the country's economic challenges contributed to his defeat in six presidential elections.

But Atiku's aide, Phrank Shaibu in his statement on Monday said that Atiku cannot be jealous of Tinubu for inflicting pain on Nigerians, stressing, “wickedness is an exclusive preserve of T-Pain!”

Shaibu said that unlike Tinubu, “Atiku is not a bigot, refunded money to the US for alleged drug trafficking”

According to him, Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections said that President Tinubu’s economic policies and approach to governance “is killing Nigerians, and this should be his focus rather than attacking the opposition which is not in the saddle.”

Atiku said, “On July 8, 2024, Tinubu announced that import duty on essential goods like food would be lifted for 150 days.

“But over 120 days later, the policy is yet to take off, while Nigerians continue to die daily due to increasing costs, including food inflation, which now exceeds 40%, the highest in decades.

“The brazen disobedience to a government policy by Tinubu’s appointees and the failure of the finance ministry to issue a gazette after over four months reflects the fatuousness, inanity and the incompetence that characterizes the Tinubu administration.

“Sadly, rather than focus on governance, they are preoccupied with verbally assaulting their opponents - Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi - while using compromised courts to foster crisis in the opposition. What a shame!”

He argued that Tinubu’s “abysmal” performance in the last 18 months had made it clear to all Nigerians that he came into office unprepared, hence the many policy flip flops that has so far characterised his tenure.

According to the former Vice President, “Tinubu was obviously unprepared for office. He acts first and thinks of the consequences afterwards. This was why he announced an abrupt removal of petrol subsidy without any cushions.

“After seeing the effect, he then hurriedly decided to push a CNG initiative, which even he and his ministers have not embraced, hence their refusal to use it.

“The CNG initiative has so far failed to fully kick off because of a lack of gas infrastructure in most states. The result is that transport costs continue to soar along with prices of food.

“In his mid-term expenditure framework, he projected the exchange rate at N700/$1 in 2024 and N650/$1 by 2025.

“Rather than sack his economic advisers, he continues to live in a fool’s paradise, deceiving Nigerians about the FX reserve of $40bn when, in fact, the net reserves are less than 20% of that. Let the CBN release its financial statements of 2023 if he is sure of his achievements.”

Atiku described as unfortunate the announcement by the military authorities on the emergence of a new terrorist organization known as Lakurawa in the North amid existing Boko Haram, ISWAP, Bandits and other terror groups in the country.

He argued that coupled with the incessant grid collapses in the north due to the activities of criminal elements, Tinubu ought to focus more on improving security, which is a sine qua non for investments.

Atiku further noted that the President had decided to play politics with security by appointing his kinsmen in top security and economic positions.
The Presidency’s statement accused Atiku who unsuccessfully sought the presidency six times of attempting to undermine his administration. It labelled Atiku’s economic proposals as "grand illusions and fantasies."


Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice-President and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has dismissed accusations from the President Bola Tinubu's camp that he is envious of the president.

SaharaReporters had reported that in a statement released on Sunday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information & Strategy, asserted that Atiku's plans lack originality and fail to address the country's pressing economic realities.

The Presidency’s statement accused Atiku who unsuccessfully sought the presidency six times of attempting to undermine his administration. It labelled Atiku’s economic proposals as "grand illusions and fantasies."

The statement went on to say that Atiku's arrogance and lack of viable solutions to the country's economic challenges contributed to his defeat in six presidential elections.

But Atiku's aide, Phrank Shaibu in his statement on Monday said that Atiku cannot be jealous of Tinubu for inflicting pain on Nigerians, stressing, “wickedness is an exclusive preserve of T-Pain!”

Shaibu said that unlike Tinubu, “Atiku is not a bigot, refunded money to the US for alleged drug trafficking”

According to him, Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections said that President Tinubu’s economic policies and approach to governance “is killing Nigerians, and this should be his focus rather than attacking the opposition which is not in the saddle.”

Atiku said, “On July 8, 2024, Tinubu announced that import duty on essential goods like food would be lifted for 150 days.

“But over 120 days later, the policy is yet to take off, while Nigerians continue to die daily due to increasing costs, including food inflation, which now exceeds 40%, the highest in decades.

“The brazen disobedience to a government policy by Tinubu’s appointees and the failure of the finance ministry to issue a gazette after over four months reflects the fatuousness, inanity and the incompetence that characterizes the Tinubu administration.

“Sadly, rather than focus on governance, they are preoccupied with verbally assaulting their opponents - Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi - while using compromised courts to foster crisis in the opposition. What a shame!”

He argued that Tinubu’s “abysmal” performance in the last 18 months had made it clear to all Nigerians that he came into office unprepared, hence the many policy flip flops that has so far characterised his tenure.

According to the former Vice President, “Tinubu was obviously unprepared for office. He acts first and thinks of the consequences afterwards. This was why he announced an abrupt removal of petrol subsidy without any cushions.

“After seeing the effect, he then hurriedly decided to push a CNG initiative, which even he and his ministers have not embraced, hence their refusal to use it.

“The CNG initiative has so far failed to fully kick off because of a lack of gas infrastructure in most states. The result is that transport costs continue to soar along with prices of food.

“In his mid-term expenditure framework, he projected the exchange rate at N700/$1 in 2024 and N650/$1 by 2025.

“Rather than sack his economic advisers, he continues to live in a fool’s paradise, deceiving Nigerians about the FX reserve of $40bn when, in fact, the net reserves are less than 20% of that. Let the CBN release its financial statements of 2023 if he is sure of his achievements.”

Atiku described as unfortunate the announcement by the military authorities on the emergence of a new terrorist organization known as Lakurawa in the North amid existing Boko Haram, ISWAP, Bandits and other terror groups in the country.

He argued that coupled with the incessant grid collapses in the north due to the activities of criminal elements, Tinubu ought to focus more on improving security, which is a sine qua non for investments.

Atiku further noted that the President had decided to play politics with security by appointing his kinsmen in top security and economic positions.