PRESIDENCY REPLIES FORMER VICE PRESIDENT ATIKU ABUBAKAR/HANDLERS; SAYS THEY ARE CLEARLY OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITIES IN NIGERIA

The presidency has replied to former vice President Atiku Abubakar and his handlers saying their claims are misleading and out of touch with realities in Nigeria.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, says, their claim that hunger is ravaging Nigeria, and their comparison of the situation to the unrest in France before the 1789 Revolution or the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, is grossly misleading.

It adds, their latest statement demonstrates a disconnect from the authentic Nigerian reality, as recent data tells a different story. Just Monday, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its figures for August, showing that headline inflation has declined for the fifth consecutive month. Over the weekend, the NBS also reported a record trade surplus, with the contribution of non-oil exports to our trade balance now nearly matching that of crude oil at a ratio of 48:52 per cent.

It further states foreign exchange reserves are on the rise, now approaching $42 billion. When President Tinubu assumed office, reserves stood at $32 billion, much of it encumbered. This administration it says has since cleared over $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to airlines.

“Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is recording unprecedented revenues. States are now able to pay salaries and gratuities promptly and still have surplus funds for capital and social projects—an achievement not previously witnessed at this scale.

Nigeria is moving in the right direction while Atiku and his party remain stuck in the past. Ironically, many of the challenges Nigeria faces stem from the economic mismanagement during the PDP years, when Atiku was Vice President.

President Tinubu and his team are working relentlessly to correct those errors, with bold reforms.

“After just two years and five months in office, we are proud of the progress being made under President Tinubu’s leadership. Atiku and his allies may choose to ignore these gains, but Nigerians can see and feel the positive changes taking place across the nation.