Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications to President Bola Tinubu, has criticised the national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi over his comments on Nigeria’s governance under the Tinubu-led administration.
In a statement posted on Sunday, Dare accused Abdullahi of engaging in what he described as “sideline criticism” lacking depth, responsibility, and practical solutions.
He noted that governance requires difficult decisions, trade-offs, and the willingness to endure short-term unpopularity for long-term national stability.
“You write as though Nigeria began yesterday. As though decades of fiscal vandalism, subsidy rackets, institutional decay, and security neglect simply materialized under one administration. It is a convenient fiction—one that absolves yesterday’s actors while condemning today’s reform.
“You lament fuel prices, but say nothing of the fraud that sustained the subsidy regime—an open hemorrhage of public funds that enriched a cartel while impoverishing a nation. You mourn the consequences, yet remain silent on the cause. That is not analysis; it is intellectual evasion”, Dare said.
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Dare defended the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, noting that past administrations entrenched fiscal inefficiencies and corruption that continue to impact the nation. According to him, critics who focus solely on current hardships without acknowledging the root causes are engaging in “intellectual evasion.”
Responding to concerns raised about insecurity, Dare maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges predate the current government, stressing that they are the result of years of institutional neglect and policy failures. He criticised what he described as the politicisation of such issues, especially in public commentary.
On the state of the economy, Dare said structural reforms often come with temporary hardship, adding that countries addressing long-standing economic distortions must go through difficult phases before achieving stability and growth.
He also dismissed concerns about Nigeria drifting towards a one-party state, stating that political realignments are a natural feature of democratic systems. According to him, such movements reflect shifting relevance rather than democratic decline.
“But let us be honest: your letter is not about governance. It is about posture. A performance of outrage, carefully worded, conveniently timed, and entirely devoid of solutions. Not a single pathway offered. Not one alternative proposed. Just indignation—polished and published.
“It is easy to write from the sidelines. To critique without consequence. To moralize without responsibility. But governance is not a column—it is a burden. One that requires decisions, trade-offs, and the courage to be unpopular in the short term to secure the long term,” he noted.
