The war of words between the Presidency and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, has hit a new level, with the
special adviser of President Bola Tinubu in Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga describing Aregbesola as a failed governor.
Recall that Aregbesola had described the APC-led administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda as a “classic scam”, remarks that didn’t go down with the presidential aide, who fired back on his X handle, where he posted, “No, Rauf. The real scammers are the politicians inside the SPV called ADC.”
Onanuga accused Aregbesola of repeating opposition talking points and attempting to distort the record of the government.
“At the event, Aregbesola reportedly called on his former boss, mentor, and benefactor to resign, parroting the opposition’s warped narratives about the economy and orchestrated reports of terrorist attacks in some parts of the country.”
He slammed Aregbesola for failing to reflect on his own time in public office, first as a governor and later as a minister of Interior.
“His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people civil servants went unpaid for months, and pensioners suffered greatly.
“During his four years, obtaining a Nigerian passport became a nightmarish process, and there were multiple jailbreaks, including the infamous Kuje prison escape.”
He argued that it was “ironic” for Aregbesola to now speak on insecurity, saying, “For someone who failed so woefully to secure our correctional centres. it is ironic that Aregbesola now seeks to lecture others on insecurity.”
Rising to defend the current administration, Onanuga noted that : “The Tinubu administration has never shied away from acknowledging that policy reforms have brought unintended consequences but we have introduced numerous relief measures, including cash transfers and support for small businesses.
“We have seen increased GDP, stronger foreign reserves, and a bullish stock market reflecting growing investor confidence. The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam,” Onanuga added.
