The Presidency has launched a scathing counterattack against former Minister of Interior and ex-Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, following his recent criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a strongly worded statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President on Information and Strategy, dismissed the Aregbesola’s remarks as hypocritical and accused him of leaving a legacy of hardship and insecurity during his time in public office.
The exchange was triggered by Aregbesola’s comments at an elective convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he reportedly called for the resignation of President Tinubu, his former mentor and benefactor.
Aregbesola criticized the current administration’s handling of the economy and cited reports of terrorist attacks across the country.
A Legacy of Hardship in Osun State
Responding via X (formerly Twitter), Onanuga did not mince words, describing the ADC as a “party of desperados and power mongers” lacking any credible plan for Nigeria.
He turned the spotlight on Aregbesola’s eight-year tenure as the governor of Osun State, characterizing it as a period of “unmitigated hardship” for the people.
According to Onanuga, Aregbesola’s “half-baked socialist policies” led to severe financial distress in the state. Civil servants went unpaid for months, and those who received salaries were often paid only a fraction of what they were owed.
“It is to Aregbesola’s infamy that Osun became known as a state receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries,” Onanuga stated.
He highlighted the particularly dire situation for pensioners, noting that many who relied on their meager monthly payments died due to non-payment.
The Presidency argued that Aregbesola lacks the moral authority to criticize the current administration, given his own record of “unpaid salaries, financial recklessness, abandoned projects, and misguided policies that brought the state to ruin.”
Onanuga pointed out that Aregbesola’s successors, the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and current Governor Ademola
Adeleke, have had to work hard to clean up the mess left behind.
The Insecurity Hypocrisy
Addressing Aregbesola’s criticisms regarding national security, Onanuga labeled them as “equally hypocritical.” He reminded the public of Aregbesola’s tenure as the Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari, a period marked by unprecedented security failures within the correctional system.
“His tenure witnessed the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history—including the infamous Kuje Prison escape in Abuja,” Onanuga noted.
He detailed that during Aregbesola’s four years in office, there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in
locations such as Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba, and Okitipupa. These incidents which Onanuga said resulted in over 4,000 inmates escaping to join criminal elements. Furthermore, obtaining a Nigerian passport became a “nightmarish process” under Aregbesola’s watch.
“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,” Onanuga remarked, suggesting that Aregbesola might believe Nigerians suffer from amnesia.
Defending the Renewed Hope Agenda
While acknowledging that the Tinubu administration’s policy reforms have brought unintended consequences that impact the most vulnerable, Onanuga emphasized the govt’s commitment to mitigating these effects. He outlined several relief measures
introduced over the past three years, including: Increasing the minimum wage by over 100 percent. Providing cash transfers to vulnerable citizens.
Also, Assisting small-scale enterprises.
• Reducing inflation from over 25 percent to less than 15 percent, alongside crashing food prices.
On the security front, Onanuga assured that the administration continues to support the.military, the Department of State Services (DSS), and intelligence agencies with increased investments in equipment and foreign assistance to combat terrorism and banditry.“The administration’s Renewed Hope Programme is on track and has received global praise,” Onanuga asserted, citing positive impacts on Nigeria’s GDP, foreign reserves, and a bullish stock market that has made Nigeria attractive to investors.
Concluding his statement, Onanuga delivered a final, pointed rebuke to Aregbesola: “No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scam are the politicians gathered inside the SPV called ADC.”
The Presidency urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against “power-hungry individuals” who weaponize isolated incidents to mislead the public, reminded them not to forget the “abysmal records” of Aregbesola and his political allies.
