‘Political laggard’, Presidency slams El-Rufai for criticising Tinubu

The Presidency has slammed former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for criticising President Bola Tinubu in his recent televised broadcast.

The Presidency accused El-Rufai and other opposition politicians of plotting to remove President Tinubu because “they feel sidelined in today’s political space”.

In a post on X on Monday, Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, said it was contradictory for El-Rufai to be among those allegedly pushing for Tinubu’s removal, when he once admitted that four years is not enough for any political office holder to make meaningful changes.

According to him, President Tinubu has already delivered tangible results in just two years, pointing to what he described as clear economic progress.

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“In contrast to the political laggards and underachievers who were once governors in Anambra, Rivers, and Kaduna, President Tinubu and his team have implemented meaningful changes in our country over the past two years.

“Tinubu has positioned Nigeria on the path of prosperity. The positive indicators are there for the world to see. Foreign reserves have risen to their highest in 44 months, the stock market has created over N26 trillion in new wealth, and the All Share Index has jumped from 53,000 points to over 140,000 points.

“Indigent students are being supported with a revolutionary loan policy through NELFUND, vulnerable Nigerians are receiving cash from the Humanitarian Ministry, and national revenue has grown phenomenally,” Onanuga wrote.

He also argued that governors across the country are benefiting more than ever before from federal allocations.

“Our national revenue has grown remarkably and will hit new records this year and next year when the tax reform takes off. States and local councils are now getting more money from the centre, allowing them to fund capital projects and create more jobs. The governors said they have never had it so good,” he added.

Onanuga described those calling for Tinubu’s removal as power-hungry politicians who had become politically displaced and irrelevant.

“May they never succeed in their plot against our nation and people,” he said.

He vowed that El-Rufai’s old video confession would be used against him when electioneering begins.