Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and ADC vice presidential candidate for 2027 has urged the Tinubu-led administration to refrain from blaming Nigerians and the media for the rising insecurity crisis plaguing the nation.
Atiku made the remarks while responding to a statement presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga previously made.
According to the former vice president, the Bola Tinubu’s administration is attempting to shift the responsibility for the country’s worsening insecurity and economic challenges onto the media and citizens.
Recall that Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy on Wednesday, accused sections of the Nigerian media of creating a false impression of the current security situation of the country.
Read Also: Bayo Onanuga Blasts Aregbesola, ‘You Failed as Governor, Minister’ in Fierce Defence of Tinubu
Hunger Insecurity In Nigeria, Exaggerated- Onanuga
Onanuga made the claims during a Tuesday interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, where he further defended the policies and reforms of the current administration and dismissed claims of widespread hardship and insecurity across the country.
Furthermore, Onanuga argued that claims of widespread hunger had been amplified by narratives that gained traction shortly after President Tinubu assumed office.
He said, “We have been pigeon-holed into certain assumptions and conclusions,” he said.
“It’s like in the early days of this government. Somebody did a voice-over saying that we are hungry. Since then, people have been saying that.
“I am a Nigerian; I have people working for me privately. I don’t see the level of hunger people are talking about because I see them (workers) and I keep asking them questions. How are things? How are they adjusting? What are the problems?”
Accusing the media of spreading falsehood, he said, “The media in Nigeria are even creating the problem. The way they report insecurity is as if the entire country is consumed.”
Read Also: Bayo Onanuga urges Nigerians to stop spreading fake kidnapping images and videos.
Atiku Fires Back
Reacting to the claim, Atiku in a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, said that the presidency’s claims blaming citizens for insecurity indicated that Nigerians could only be safe for a limited part of the day.
The ADC presidential candidate warned that normalising insecurity by advising citizens to avoid travelling at certain hours would hurt the economy.
Furthermore, Atiku Abubakar argued that security agencies, not ordinary citizens, should bear the responsibility of protecting lives and property. He also maintained that Nigerians’ daily experiences provide ample evidence of insecurity across the country, making it impossible to dismiss the situation as media exaggeration.
He condemned the presidency’s attempt to blame the media for reports over insecurity and economic challenges, noting that journalists are only reporting current realities facing Nigerians.
