Presidency lambasts Afenifere faction; says assessment of Tinubu, deceitful, jaundiced
Presidency lambasts Afenifere faction; says assessment of Tinubu, deceitful, jaundiced
By Idun Maximus
The Presidency has lambasted a faction of Afenifere, the apex Yoruba socio-political organization for saying that every human development and socio-political index has regressed under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
It described Afenifere’s claim that President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope has turned into a nightmare for Nigerians as “deceitful” and “jaundiced”.
AbeyaNews reports that in a statement by its Leader and National Publicity Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Justice Faloye, Afenifere had said the midterm report of the Tinubu administration has shown that every human development and sociopolitical index has regressed.
It also accused the administration of engaging in “massive propaganda claiming false successes.”
But Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, in a comprehensive rebuttal to the recent statement, argued that the group’s criticisms reflect a deliberate attempt to trade in falsehoods rather than acknowledge the significant progress under the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Dare said, “The factional Afenifere’s claims echo opposition rhetoric and fail to recognize the extensive reforms and achievements recorded by this administration. A balanced assessment based on available data reveals a more objective and progressive picture, with significant gains amid the challenges inherited from decades of systemic issues.”
He highlighted key economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange market, which he said saved the government over $10 billion in 2023 alone and boosted foreign reserves to $38.1 billion by 2024. Inflation rates have also shown signs of stabilization, with annual inflation falling to 23.71% in April 2025 from 24.23% the previous month.
“The government’s cash transfer programme now benefits over 5.7 million households, cushioning the impact of these necessary reforms on the most vulnerable Nigerians”, Dare added.
The presidential aide underscored several other accomplishments, noting that over 900,000 Nigerians have benefited from the Presidential Loan and Grant Scheme, while more than 600,000 have accessed the Students’ Loan Scheme.
“The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) monthly stipend was increased from N33,000 to N77,000, and free Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) kits were distributed to thousands of commercial drivers nationwide, significantly reducing transport costs.
“The administration also cleared over $10 billion in foreign exchange debt and increased federal account allocations to states by 60%, enabling more local development projects. Furthermore, N50 billion was released to resolve the perennial ASUU strike, and over 1,000 primary healthcare centres have been revitalized, with an additional 5,500 undergoing upgrades”, he said.
In addition, Dare stressed that the government has disbursed N75 billion in palliative funds to states and local governments for food distribution and cash transfers, adding”, more than 150,000 youths are currently being trained in software development, tech support, and data analysis under the 3 Million Technical Talent project.”
The Renewed Hope Cities programme, he added, has launched construction on over 20,000 affordable housing units across Nigeria even as loans totalling N200 billion have been extended to farmers and agro-processors.
He said: “over two million Nigerians now have access to new digital infrastructure, including community broadband hubs and public WiFi projects.”
The country, the presidential aide noted, recorded a GDP growth rate of 3.84% in the fourth quarter of 2024, the highest in three years, alongside over $50 billion in new foreign direct investment commitments. He said, net foreign exchange reserves increased from $3.99 billion in 2023 to $23.11 billion in 2024, and more than $8 billion in new oil and gas investments were unlocked, with over $800 million realized in processing investments in solid minerals in 2024.
