The special adviser on information and strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, has tackled Rauf Aregbesola over his remarks on the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.
Aregbesola, the national secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remarks on Tuesday at the party’s national convention in Abuja, where he said Tinubu’s promises are yet to materialise three years into his tenure.
“Four years ago, this government promised Nigerians renewed hope,” he said.
“Now, three years into its tenure, it is still promising renewed hope. When exactly will this hope come into fruition? The answer is simple: it is a scam.
“If allowed, this regime will continue to chant renewed hope till eternity. We have a duty to stop these scammers from retaining power.”
Responding in a post on X, Onanuga described Aregbesola’s comments as misleading and accused him of failing to reflect on his record in public office.
“My attention has been drawn to Rauf Aregbesola’s attack on the Tinubu administration at today’s illegal elective convention of the ADC — a party of desperados and power mongers who, to date, have not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria,” he said.
“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.”
Onanuga alleged that Aregbesola’s tenure as governor of Osun state was marked by hardship and salary challenges.
“His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people,” he said.
“Under his half-baked socialist policies, civil servants went unpaid for months, and those who were paid received only a fraction of their salaries.
“It is to Aregbesola’s infamy that Osun became known as a state receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries.
“It was worse for pensioners in Aregbesola’s Osun State. Many pensioners who relied on their meagre monthly payments died because they were not paid at all.”
He added that Aregbesola’s tenure as minister of interior witnessed multiple jailbreaks and security lapses.
“As Minister of Interior under President Muhammadu Buhari, his tenure witnessed the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history — including the infamous Kuje Prison escape in Abuja,” he said.
“During his four years, obtaining a Nigerian passport became a nightmarish process, and there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba, and Okitipupa, resulting in over 4,000 inmates escaping to join criminal elements.”
Onanuga said the Renewed Hope agenda is yielding results and dismissed Aregbesola’s claims.
“No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scammers are the politicians gathered inside the SPV called ADC,” he added.
