The Presidency on Monday came down hard on a faction of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, over its scathing assessment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s two-year-old administration.
In a statement signed by Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, the Presidency described the group’s claims as “echoing the views of opposition politicians” and branded it as “rebellious.”
Afenifere, in its recent assessment, accused the Tinubu administration of worsening economic hardship, promoting democratic backsliding, and mismanaging the economy.
But Dare countered that the criticisms were politically motivated and lacked factual grounding.
“The factional Afenifere group raises serious concerns about a penchant and deliberate attempt to find faults and trade in deceit instead of objectivity,” Dare stated. “Their position is neither grounded in facts nor logic.”
He defended President Tinubu’s economic policies, citing the removal of the fuel subsidy as a major fiscal reform that saved the country over $10 billion in 2023.
According to him, this allowed the government to reallocate resources to critical sectors of the economy.
Dare also highlighted the floating of the naira and unification of the foreign exchange market as bold steps that boosted foreign reserves to $38.1 billion by 2024 and produced a trade surplus of N18.86 trillion.
On inflation, he said the rate dropped from 24.23% in March to 23.71% in April 2025, with food inflation slightly moderating to 21.26%.
He pointed to targeted intervention schemes such as the Presidential Loan and Grant Scheme, Students’ Loan Scheme, and NELFUND as proof of a people-focused government.
Other achievements listed include: Over 900,000 beneficiaries of federal business loan schemes.
Increased NYSC stipends from N33,000 to N77,000.
Distribution of free CNG kits and buses, leading to a reduction in transport costs.
Clearance of over $10 billion FX debts.N50 billion released to address ASUU strikes.
Revitalisation of 1,000 primary healthcare centres, with 5,500 more undergoing upgrades.
N75 billion in palliative funds distributed to states and LGs.
Training of over 150,000 youths under the 3 Million Technical Talent programme.
Construction of over 20,000 affordable housing units under the Renewed Hope Cities initiative.N200 billion disbursed in agricultural loans.
Dare also dismissed Afenifere’s criticism regarding the non-implementation of the Oronsaye Report, stating that while full implementation was pending, the administration had reduced the fiscal deficit from 5.4% of GDP in 2023 to 3.0% in 2024, and debt servicing costs had dropped significantly.
On the issue of corruption, he pointed to the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, over alleged fund diversion as evidence of a commitment to accountability.
He added that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recorded its most successful year in 2024, securing 4,111 convictions and recovering over N364 billion in local and foreign currencies.
“In 2025, the EFCC finalised the forfeiture of a massive Abuja estate measuring 150,500 square metres with 725 units. The estate has since been handed over to the Ministry of Housing,” Dare said.
The Presidency called on the public to disregard what it described as “divisive and unsubstantiated” attacks from “a group that no longer speaks for the Yoruba people but for vested political interests.”
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