Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has come under fire from the Presidency for calling President Bola Tinubu “T-pain” due to the current economic hardships that Nigerians are facing.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the picture of an uncaring and unperturbed President Bola Tinubu is not correct.
He said that the president is deeply aware of the struggles Nigerians face, countering accusations that the president is indifferent to citizens’ hardships.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on Sunday, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye, Onanuga dismissed social media nicknames labelling Tinubu as “T-pain” as mischievous, reiterating that the president is committed to turning Nigeria’s economic fortunes around.
Onanuga said: “President Tinubu feels the pain of Nigerians and assures them that relief is on the horizon.
“Some have resorted to calling him ‘T-pain’ out of mischief, but he is not that. He’s here to heal, not to hurt.”
Onanuga’s comments follow criticisms that have berated Tinubu’s economic reforms, especially the removal of petrol subsidy and forex unification, resulting in food inflation and other socioeconomic problems.
According to him, the policies are aimed at “repairing the economy” rather than inflicting hardship.
“The President has never shied away from acknowledging that Nigerians are going through difficult times. He is working tirelessly to provide relief and ensure that the nation moves towards a future of prosperity,” he said.
Despite high inflation and soaring living costs, Onanuga emphasized that the administration is seeing signs of economic growth and increased revenues, which he claims point toward a brighter economic outlook.
“This is a painful transition, but it’s part of a long-term strategy to stabilize and grow the economy,” he said.
In recent months, citizens have staged protests, demanding a reversal of the government’s economic policies, which have impacted the middle class and the poor negatively.
Onanuga insisted that the reforms of the Tinubu administration were indispensable to sustainable growth.
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