The Presidency has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential flagbearer, following his remarks concerning Nigeria’s economic situation and the policies introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The presidential office questioned Atiku’s understanding of economic matters, bringing up his professional background before he entered the Nigerian Customs Service.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, conveyed the administration’s response through a post published on his verified X account.
In his reaction, Onanuga challenged the former vice president’s knowledge of economic management, arguing that his previous occupation did not establish sufficient expertise in the field.
The presidential aide claimed that Atiku’s qualification before entering the Customs Service was limited to his experience as a sanitary inspector. He consequently questioned the basis of the opposition politician’s comments on the country’s economic policies.
Onanuga’s remarks followed Atiku’s recent assessment of the Nigerian economy, in which the former vice president expressed concerns about the direction of economic management under the current administration.
The exchange highlights the continuing disagreement between the ruling government and opposition figures over the effectiveness of the economic measures introduced since Tinubu assumed office.
While Atiku has criticised aspects of the government’s economic direction, the Presidency maintained that the reforms introduced by the president were producing results and should not be undermined by opposition criticism.
Onanuga argued that the former vice president’s comments were not supported by sufficient knowledge of economic issues, using Atiku’s earlier career to challenge his assessment of the government’s policies.
The presidential spokesperson also defended the administration’s approach, insisting that the current economic measures were intended to address longstanding structural problems and improve the country’s financial outlook.
In his post, Onanuga directly questioned Atiku’s expertise, referring to the former vice president’s previous position before joining the Nigerian Customs Service.
He wrote: “You know nothing about economics. Atiku Abubakar’s only qualification before joining the Nigerian Customs was as a sanitary inspector. You wonder what he knows about economics.”
The statement represents the Presidency’s response to the opposition politician’s recent economic commentary and reflects the growing political disagreement over the country’s fiscal and monetary direction.
Atiku, who previously served as Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007, has remained an outspoken critic of successive administrations and has repeatedly offered opinions on national economic affairs.
The latest exchange comes amid continuing public discussions about government reforms, their impact on citizens and the alternatives being proposed by opposition politicians.
However, the Presidency’s criticism of Atiku’s professional background does not, by itself, establish whether his economic arguments are correct or incorrect. Assessing the competing positions would require examining the specific claims made by both sides, alongside relevant economic evidence.
The disagreement further demonstrates how economic policy has become an important subject of political debate as Nigerian politicians continue to defend their respective positions on the country’s financial challenges and possible solutions.
