Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has publicly accused former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of breathtaking hypocrisy, branding him a “power-hungry” desperado. Onanuga’s fiery statement came in response to El-Rufai’s recent commentary on the inadequacy of a single four-year term for any leader to enact meaningful change, a position Onanuga argues is in direct contradiction with El-Rufai’s alleged plot to unseat President Tinubu just two years into his tenure.
In a statement released Monday, Onanuga lambasted the former governor, highlighting his apparent double standards. “Nasir El-Rufai confesses here that four years is not enough for a political office holder to make ‘meaningful changes.’ Yet he is at the forefront of the gang of political desperados plotting President Tinubu’s ouster, just two years into his tenure. What a contradiction!” Onanuga declared.
The presidential aide was referencing El-Rufai’s recent appearance on Channels Television, where the former governor challenged one-term pledges made by political figures, including Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi. El-Rufai stated that “four years is not enough” to make a substantial impact, a point he made from his own eight years of experience as governor.
Onanuga wasted no time in seizing on this admission, framing it as proof of El-Rufai’s own political opportunism. He contrasted the supposed plot against Tinubu with the significant achievements of the current administration, which he says has already delivered “meaningful changes.”
Tinubu’s Two-Year Triumphs vs. Political Laggards
Onanuga painted a picture of a flourishing economy under President Tinubu’s leadership, directly challenging critics he labeled as “political laggards and underachievers.” He pointed to a range of “positive indicators,” including:
Increased Foreign Reserves: Noting the highest level in 44 months.
Stock Market Boom: With the All-Share Index (ASI) soaring from 53,000 to over 140,000 points, creating over N26 trillion in additional wealth.
Macroeconomic Stability: Highlighting the harmonization of the exchange rate, the elimination of arbitrage, and a decrease in the inflation rate over four consecutive months.
GDP Growth: A staggering N103.5 trillion growth in just two years.
Onanuga also underscored the administration’s social welfare initiatives, such as the NELFUND student loan policy and direct cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians. He noted a “phenomenal” increase in national revenue, which he says has empowered state and local governments to embark on capital projects, creating jobs and stimulating the economy.
“Power-Hungry Politicians” and Their Futile Plot
Onanuga concluded his powerful statement by directly addressing the motivations of Tinubu’s critics. He accused them of being “driven by personal ambition rather than national interest,” portraying their efforts to remove the President as a desperate attempt to regain political relevance.
“Yet, these power-hungry politicians want the President, who has achieved so much, to be removed, all because they have become politically displaced and irrelevant. May they never succeed in their plot against our nation and people,” Onanuga stated, before issuing a final, chilling warning.
“Please save the video. We shall confront Nasir with it when electioneering starts,” he said, signaling that El-Rufai’s words will not be forgotten and will be used as a political weapon in future campaigns.
