Presidency tackles ADC spokesman over birthday greetings
Opposition party: it’s Tinubu’s last year in office The Presidency has dismissed the claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in his “final year
Opposition party: it’s Tinubu’s last year in office
- From Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja
The Presidency has dismissed the claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in his “final year in office”.
The President marked his 74th birthday yesterday.
The Presidency also defended the administration’s policy direction.
The response followed a birthday message by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in which he criticised the Tinubu administration for the rising fuel prices, insecurity, economic hardship, and concerns about the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
Abdullahi had stated that the President was marking his “final year in office”.
Reacting via his X handle, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, described the claim as “wishful thinking”.
The presidential aide stressed that leadership in a democracy is determined by the electorate, not by political commentary.
“And that line about ‘as you celebrate your final year in office’ says more about wishful thinking than political reality,” Dada said.
He argued that Abdullahi’s critique was built on sweeping generalisations rather than a balanced analysis.
The presidential aide noted that accountability must be grounded in context, fairness, and accuracy.
According to him, national issues, such as fuel price increases and security challenges, are not isolated to the current administration.
He explained that the removal of fuel subsidy was aimed at addressing long-standing fiscal pressures, while security challenges require sustained and coordinated responses.
Dada also dismissed the insinuation of a drift towards a one-party state, maintaining that Nigeria’s democracy remained active and plural, with room for diverse opinions.
In a similar reaction, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Media, O’tega Ogra, accused Abdullahi of “selective amnesia” and attempting to “reinvent history”.
He said: “You speak of hardship as though you discovered it. You speak of insecurity as though it began yesterday. You speak of governance as though you were never inside the room when decisions were made,” Ogra said.
Acknowledging the economic difficulties that Nigerians are faceing, including rising fuel prices, Ogra noted that the challenges predate the current administration.
“For years, we subsidised illusion, deferred reality, borrowed comfort, and allowed rent-seekers to take hold of our commonwealth,” he stated.
The presidential aide described the removal of fuel subsidy as a necessary but difficult decision, stressing that it was a “hard choice” with immediate consequences but long-term benefits.
“We endure to rebuild, not rebuild to endure,” Ogra added.
Reacting to Abdullahi’s criticism of the security situation, the presidential aide said Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and multi-layered.
He said they cannot be attributed to a single administration.
Ogra assured fellow compatriots that efforts were ongoing to improve coordination and operational capacity.
“Is it enough? No. Is it nothing? Also no,” he said.
Ogra also rejected the ADC spokesman’s comment of shrinking democratic space.
The presidential aide argued that the very existence of open criticism against the government underscored the vitality of Nigeria’s democracy.
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“A democracy that permits this level of dissent is not shrinking; it is alive, imperfect, noisy, contested, but alive,” Ogra said.
According to him, some critics are overlooking their own roles in shaping past governance outcomes.
“You criticise a system you once helped shape. You condemn outcomes without acknowledging inputs,” he said.
Ogra described the current phase as one of “correction” and “transition,” rather than decline.
“We are not where we want to be, but we are no longer where we were,” he added.
