Bayo Onanuga, Spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday fired back at the National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola over his recent comments targeting the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking after an elective convention of the ADC, held on Tuesday in Abuja, Onanuga described the party as a “special purpose vehicle (SPV)” driven by “desperados and power mongers.”
“My attention has been drawn to Rauf Aregbesola’s attack on the Tinubu administration at today’s illegal elective convention of the ADC, a party of desperados and power mongers who, to date, have not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria,” Onanuga said.
He faulted Aregbesola for calling on President Tinubu to resign, describing the move as ironic given his own track record in public office.
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He noted that Aregbesola’s tenure as governor of Osun State was marked by economic hardship, including salary delays and partial payments to civil servants and pensioners.
According to Onanuga, the former governor’s policies left a legacy of financial instability, which subsequent administrations, including those of Adegboyega Oyetola and Ademola Adeleke have had to address.
The presidential aide also took aim at Aregbesola’s tenure as Minister of Interior under Muhammadu Buhari.
He cited multiple prison breaks during that period, including the high-profile Kuje Prison Break, as evidence of what he described as a failure in leadership.
Onanuga further alleged that administrative challenges, such as delays in passport processing, worsened during Aregbesola’s time in office, while attacks on correctional facilities led to thousands of inmate escapes nationwide.
“Unfortunately, Aregbesola did not undertake any honest self-reflection on his own record in public office, as governor or as Minister of Interior.
“His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people. Under his half-baked socialist policies, civil servants went unpaid for months, and those who were paid received only a fraction of their salaries,” he added.
Defending the Tinubu administration, Onanuga acknowledged that recent economic reforms have caused short-term hardship but insisted they are yielding results. He highlighted improvements such as increased minimum wage, cash transfer programmes, and support for small businesses.
He also claimed that inflation has dropped significantly and that Nigeria’s economy is stabilizing, with gains in GDP, foreign reserves, and investor confidence under the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”
On security, Onanuga said the government is strengthening support for Nigeria’s armed forces and intelligence agencies, while collaborating with international partners to tackle terrorism and banditry.
He dismissed opposition criticisms as politically motivated, accusing ADC figures of exploiting isolated security incidents to discredit the government.
