Presidency, Atiku, Afenifere, MBF, Others Clash Over Tinubu’s Mid-Term Report

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, the Ijaw National Congress, INC, and the Coalition of Northern Groups, yesterday, disagreed with the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, over President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office.

On May 29, President Tinubu reeled out his achievements in office in the last two years, saying he has not only improved security but also grown the economy, with the country’s external reserves rising by almost 500 percent from $4 billion in 2023 to over $23 billion by end of 2024.

The president, who celebrated his second year in office, also explained why his government removed fuel subsidy and devalued the naira.

The President’s performance, however, generated angry reactions from the former Vice President and some regional groups, who said the economic reforms reeled out continue to bite harder on Nigerians.

Tinubu’s govt has failed Nigerians—Atiku
Describing the Tinubu-led government as exhibiting anti-democratic tendencies, economic mismanagement and disregard for the welfare of Nigerians, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar warned that the country risks becoming a ‘one-party state’ where power is abused and accountability is eroded.

The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement, emphasized that the administration’s actions have deepened poverty, worsened inequality, and undermined transparency.

Atiku said: “We reject any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state where dissent is silenced and power is abused.
“We are building a strong, united opposition coalition, one that will challenge the excesses of this administration, restore accountability, and return government to the people.

“Policy after policy under this administration has targeted the poor while providing relief and advantage to the rich.
“From healthcare to education to identity management and basic public services, Nigerians are now faced with class-based systems where the wealthy enjoy VIP treatment, and the rest are left behind.”

The former VP, who criticized the administration’s handling of the economy, noted that Nigeria’s public debt has surged from N49 trillion in 2023 to N144 trillion in just two years, a 150% increase.

He said: “President Tinubu’s justification, that new borrowing is needed to fund the 2025 budget and soften the impact of fuel subsidy removal, is both weak and dishonest.

“It was the reckless and insensitive way his government removed the subsidy that created much of today’s economic hardship in the first place.

“Today, Nigeria is a nation where the rich get richer, and the poor are punished for trying to survive. This reality cannot and will not be ignored. We are here to rescue Nigeria, and we will not stop until that goal is achieved.”

Tinubu’s debt plan reckless, unsustainable
On Tinubu’s proposal to secure $24 billion in external and domestic loans, he described it as reckless, unsustainable, and a threat to Nigeria’s economic future.

He said: “This move comes while Nigeria’s debt burden is already at alarming levels. As of December 31, 2024, public debt stood at $94 billion (¦ 144.7 trillion). Since President Tinubu assumed office in 2023, public debt has jumped by 65.6%.

“This is not just unsustainable, it is immoral. The Tinubu administration is borrowing money not for development but to service existing loans, fueling a debt spiral that leaves nothing for infrastructure, education, healthcare, or jobs.
“Nigeria is now caught in a vicious cycle that mortgages the future to pay for the past.

“We demand that this reckless borrowing plan be halted immediately. Nigeria must not be sold into debt slavery.”

26 years of civil rule: No distinction between military, democracy — NNPP

Also, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in the South-West, Mr Olufemi Oguntoyinbo, yesterday, said that there is little distinction between military and democratic governance in practice.
The NNPP chieftain, in a statement, called on political officeholders to fulfill their responsibilities to the electorate.

NNPP, while congratulating Nigerians for achieving the longest period of democratic governance since independence, Mr Oguntoyinbo stated that with 26 years of continuous democracy, leaders should demonstrate and showcase the democratic process of governance.

He said: “It is disheartening that despite being elected, some leaders still operate as if under military rule, suppressing the will of the people.”

He urged government officials to respect democratic ethics and prioritise the interests of citizens in their governance.
He also tasked leaders at all levels to ensure public safety and uphold the tenets of democracy, as they work to deliver tangible benefits to the Nigerian populace.

Tinubu’s economic reforms biting harder —Afenifere
Also reacting, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has lamented that the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms has continued to bite harder on Nigerians.

Speaking with Vanguard, Afenifere’s National Organizing Secretary, Mr Kole Omololu, added that food inflation, rising transportation costs and escalating rent have strained the livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians.

Omololu said: “Afenifere urges stronger investment in low-cost housing, support for local manufacturers and targeted subsidies to stabilise essential sectors.

“State governments must also fulfill their responsibilities and embrace cooperative federalism to complement federal economic.”

On security, he said: “Despite increased investment in security, the threats of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping persist and appear increasingly sophisticated.

“Two years into his presidency, President Bola Tinubu has shown political will and administrative dexterity. Yet, much more is required to restore faith, renew hope, and rebuild the nation.
“The challenges of poverty, insecurity, corruption and disunity are not insurmountable, but they demand truth and sacrifice.

“Afenifere urges the President to rise above partisan interests and transient victories to deliver enduring national transformation.

“The President must lead this process and truth must prevail over political expediency.”

INC flays Tinubu’s mid-term report
Ppicking holes in the President’s mid-term report, the Ijaw National Congress, INC, described as subjective the claim by President Tinubu that the country has fared better under his watch.

President of the INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba, who spoke with Vanguard in Yenagoa, insisted that many communities in the oil-rich Niger Delta have continued to face systemic neglect, underdevelopment, and environmental degradation.

Okaba said: “Regarding President Tinubu’s two years in office and the Presidency’s claim that Tinubu is making Nigeria a better place, is subjective. It is my maintained view rooted in all senses of objectivity and the lived realities of Ijaw people and indeed Nigerians.

“Though the presidency claimed to have made tangible efforts in areas such as infrastructural and economic policy thrusts, I want to emphasise that many communities, especially in the oil-rich Niger Delta, continue to face systemic neglect, underdevelopment, and environmental degradation. These are long-standing issues that remain unattended.

“Their claims must be measured against tangible improvement in security, equity, federal inclusiveness, and socio-economic well-being equity, federal for all Nigerians-not just TV screen claims.

“As of today, the World Bank and National Bureau for Statistics data say the opposite of the claims made by these politicians.

“We at the INC, therefore, urge Mr President and his government to deepen engagement with marginalized regions and take sincere, practical steps towards restructuring and justice if true national progress is to be achieved.”

First two years disastrous — MBF
Similarly, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has described the first two years of the administration as a disaster saying Tinubu came into government without any laid-out plan to improve the country.
The National President of MBF, Dr Bitrus Pogu insisted that President Tinubu has plunged Nigerians into unimaginable poverty and suffering.

Pogu said: “President Tinubu came into government without any plan. If he did he wouldn’t have removed fuel subsidy without having in place the CNG buses and vehicles he later brought in to mitigate the impact of the subsidy removal.
“How would a government remove subsidy before putting in place initiatives to mitigate the impact of the decision? When you put the cart before the horse, it is an economic disaster waiting to happen. And that is exactly what we are witnessing in the country presently.

“He also went ahead to devalue the Naira, thereby throwing Nigerians into more misery. To date, the impact of the decision is still being felt in the country. The suffering Nigerians are going through is unimaginable. Nigerians are hungry and cannot feed themselves. That is the level we have gotten to under his administration.

“He came to government and said he was continuing from where former President Muhammadu Buhari stopped and he is doing that.

“Buhari was the most nepotistic president Nigeria ever had. And true to President Tinubu’s promise he continued from where Buhari stopped by appointing mostly people of his tribe everywhere, like Buhari did.

“And in a bid to appease the North following the outcry that trailed his action, he created the Ministry of Livestock Development with plans now to start building RUGA which we will not allow in our communities. We will not give our land for RUGA. Painfully his government lacks merit and purposeful leadership.

“I advise him to rethink his policies because his government has impoverished Nigerians like never before. The next two years offer him the opportunity to make amends and correct the mistakes of the past, but the fear is that as he tries to correct the mistakes, he will keep making more mistakes.”

He failed to reduce hardship —CNG
The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, said that the Tinubu administration has failed in reducing economic hardship amongst Nigerians.

National President of the CNG, Jamilu Charanchi, however, lauded the administration on security, saying the military has eliminated lots of notorious bandits’ leaders, thereby reducing the attacks in some Northern states.

Claim of economic revival, insult to suffering Nigerians —Wabara
In his assessment, former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, described the claims by President Tinubu that his administration had revived Nigeria’s economy, as an insult to suffering Nigerians.

Wabara said: “It’s an irony that Mr President is claiming to have revived the economy, when, in fact, the Nigeria economy is getting worse under his very watch.

“He should be reminded that the indices on ground rather say the opposite of the President’s claims. Poor and hungry Nigerians do not need to be lectured about the revival of the economy. Any day the economy improves, the market prices of commodities will be the first indicator.”

Democracy thriving in Nigeria under Tinubu — Presidency
The Presidency, however, disagreed with Tinubu’s critics saying that democracy is thriving in the country.
It also described, as absolute nonsense, insinuations in some quarters that the President is attempting to impose a one-party system.

The Presidency also said that the present administration has recorded tremendous successes within two years in office, assuring that in a few weeks to come the issue of inflation will ease off.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said Nigerians have cause to celebrate the remarkable achievement of the government in 24 months.

Onanuga said: “What I will just say is that two years after, we have many stories of success and we can say very confidently that the reforms that this present administration instituted in 2023 have yielded fruits and this is evidenced in many areas.

“In stable exchange rate, it has succeeded to harmonize the exchange rate, stop the arbitrary forex regime whereby you find official rate having a gap of about N200, N300 from the parallel market, that’s history.

“The exchange rate now is more stable than two or three years ago. Balance of payment, we have been recording positive, balance of trade we have been recording positive and not just in small figures but in very nice figures.

“Inflation, the one that has been giving some problems is easing, it’s going down and we expect it should go further down in the next two weeks or much because food prices which is the major driver of this inflation has continued to reduce.

“So I can say that we have cause to celebrate that this government has achieved a lot in the last 24 months. This is just the midterm we should not forget that it’s just the midterm, we expect more successes in the second half of our journey but we have so many things we are proud of that this government has achieved.”

Assessing democracy in the country, the Presidential aide said: “Democracy is alive, it’s thriving. You can see this government allows the opposition to thrive. You can see them holding meetings everywhere, planning their show, which shows that democracy is alive.

“And the APC is doing its show, you don’t see them fighting one another, everybody is on his lane. So, there is freedom of speech, because these are the things you look out for when you are talking about democracy.

“Freedom of speech is available, freedom of association is available. So democracy is thriving in our country contrary to some insinuations that this government wants to impose a one-party system. It’s all absolute nonsense, democracy is alive in Nigeria.”

Tinubu’s policies, unstoppable, irreversible —APC
Also throwing its weight behind the president’s performance in the last two years, the All Progressives Congress, APC, said while Tinubu’s predecessors avoided tackling complex challenges, the president has confronted all challenges without hesitation.

At a midterm review of the president’s performance in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, said: “We make bold to say that our vehicle of state, under the able, capable, safe and steady hands of our Executive Driver, leader and President is on the move.

“Unstoppably and irreversibly, milestone after milestone, on a steady course on the road to our long-desired destination – a place of peace, security and enduring prosperity.

“Our leader, Mr President, is not the first President of our dear country. But he is the first to break with what had become a stagnating culture of presidential inertia – ‘kick the can down the road for the next President’ – style of leadership and governance.”

Speaking on the challenges the APC administration has faced since its assumption of office in 2015, Morka said the nation was drifting dangerously and was on the precipice before President Muhammadu Buhari was elected.

Morka said: “Today is, like I said, a day to take in the progress we are making. It is not a day to get political or to reflect, you know, that far back. Because you cannot talk about Buhari without talking about the circumstances that Buhari himself stepped into and had to manage. Buhari was a stop-gap president. He came in to simply hold still a country that was already flipping off the key, flipping off the precipice. The country was, you see, look, all of the fallacies of the PDP is that the economy did better under their watch. It didn’t. The economy we ran was phantom. An economy where contracts were awarded, and security votes were given.

“We saw what happened when Buhari took over with Dasuki’s ONSA, where billions of dollars meant to fight terror were simply shared with everybody. It is simply a question to them. What happened to all the money voted for power, the whole power sector reform? Again, shared out.

“In two years of this administration, we made clear that this president has enacted a vision and proclaimed a mission to tackle problems that were created generationally in our country. All of the difficulties we speak about today didn’t drop from the sky. They were long in coming.

“As I said, all the presidents who came before this president preferred to simply postpone the doomsday. Because we didn’t just wake up in the last two years to realize that fuel subsidy was a destructive device in our country. We didn’t.

“We have always known that, and as a matter of fact, there is no president who has come in the last 15, 20 years who didn’t remove fuel subsidy. Because when you think back, fuel was not at the point that President Tinubu met it back in 1999. It wasn’t. The way they did it was far, far lower. It was cheaper to buy fuel in 1999 in terms of the local economy than it was at the time that the hurricane hit this country.

“So it means that other presidents were taking out subsidy, you know, gradually. But let me tell you the difference between this president and the rest of them. Other presidents who intervened in the fuel subsidy regime did so to save a bit of money and to free up some money to get their job done.

“They didn’t do it because they were interested in solving structural problems that beset our economy. They didn’t do that. They simply needed to.

“At the All Progressives Congress APC, when we say that President Bola Tinubu is the President of progress and has set Nigeria on a road less travelled, we do not mean that this journey, of inter-generational significance, is without delays or bumps along the way.

“It does not mean that our travel plan and road map is set on an immutable course. It does not even mean that the vehicle in which we are travelling is set on cruise control.

“It means that our vehicle is set on a certain and determined course of travel – on a road that puts distance between where we are coming from and where we going as a country, and as a people.

“It is a road filled with renewed hope of infinite possibilities. A road that leads to our long-desired destination, a place of more peace, more safety and security and a place of improved and enduring prosperity.”