The presidency, speaking through Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has slammed the former Vice president and veteran presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar in previous and the 2023 presidential elections for his latest statement where he criticized President Tinubu.
Atiku had in a post made on his X account on Tuesday afternoon accused the president of fiddling amidst some security and economic challenges in the country.
Responding to the statement via a media release on Tuesday evening, the president, Onanuga condemned Atiku, describing his statement as ‘reckless.’
Onanuga said Atiku’s statement fell short of what is expected of an elder statesman of his standing just as he expressed surprise that the former vice-president was yet to get over his defeat in last year’s election thereby taking every opportunity to take a swipe at the president.
The statement read in part: “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s statement accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of fiddling amidst some security and economic challenges is to say the least, reckless.
“Coming days after he made an equally reckless allegation against the President on the crude for loan deal for NNPC Limited, his latest statement fell short of what is expected from an elder statesman.
“We like to believe that Alhaji Atiku is still not nursing hangover of his electoral defeat and now latches on any issue to attack President Tinubu.”
Onanuga explained further that, the president is keenly following developments in the country even as he is currently on a private visit to France adding that he is in close communication with the security chiefs and had ordered them to tame the spate of insecurity and kidnapping in the country.
“President Tinubu did not travel without informing Nigerians of his whereabouts. He announced a private visit to France and announced a return date.
“While in France, President Tinubu has been following developments at home and he is on top of the situation in the country. Today’s inauguration of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum wage bore his imprimatur.
“He is in constant touch with his officials and security chiefs and has directed them to stamp out every form of criminality in the country.
“He has particularly ordered them to apprehend those criminals responsible for the murder of two monarchs in Ekiti State and the kidnapping of some pupils in the state.
“We are already seeing results with the arrest of over 139 kidnappers around Abuja, Kaduna and Benue States in the last one week. The police Special Intervention Squad (SIS) and DSS have also rescued 154 abducted persons in the last few days.
“Just last week President Tinubu approved N50billion as Special Fund to address some of the lingering security challenges in North East where Alhaji Atiku hails from. To cope with the kidnapping challenges in the FCT, President Tinubu also approved funds for the acquisition of equipment to track criminals.”
Onanuga concluded by urging Atiku against playing cheap politics reiterating that President Tinubu, in his hands-on to delivering on his campaign promises, is working tirelessly to restore lasting peace in the country.
“Alhaji Atiku is really concerned about security issues and not playing cheap politics, he should have known that President Tinubu is on top of issues and working hard to restore peace to every part of our country.
Our security agencies are working very hard to bring the security situation under control. President Tinubu is giving them all the necessary support they need to win the battle against criminal elements and secure every inch of our country,” the statement concluded.
