Atiku Abubakar’s Aide Exposes “The 10 Big Lies” of President Tinubu’s Administration
ABUJA/Nigeria: In a scathing statement released yesterday, Phrank Shaibu, Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, unveiled what he termed as “the 10 big lies” that have become emblematic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. According to Shaibu, these falsehoods are indicative of a government relying on propaganda rather than addressing the pressing issues of governance.
Shaibu dismissed recent apologies from President Tinubu’s media team, contending that they were driven by getting caught rather than genuine remorse. He emphasized the administration’s excessive media focus compared to its commitment to economic and security concerns.
Shaibu listed the ten alleged lies as follows:
- Fuel Subsidy: Shaibu accused President Tinubu of falsely claiming that petrol subsidies were eliminated while pointing to rising fuel prices and a lack of transparency as evidence of ongoing subsidies.
- UAE Visa Ban: He criticized the administration for wrongly asserting that the United Arab Emirates had lifted its visa ban on Nigerians, only to have this claim contradicted by UAE authorities.
- NASDAQ Bell Ringing: Shaibu revealed that the administration’s claim that Tinubu was the first African president to ring the NASDAQ bell was untrue, citing Malawian President Jakaya Kikwete’s prior participation.
- UNGA Meeting with President Biden: He highlighted a statement by the Special Adviser on Media, Ajuri Ngelale, claiming that President Biden wanted to meet Tinubu at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) but clarified that this meeting never occurred.
- Exchange Rate Stability: Shaibu accused Tinubu of misleading the public by claiming exchange rate stability while pointing to discrepancies between official and parallel market rates.
- False Terrorist Neutralization: He criticized the administration for falsely claiming that the Nigerian Air Force had neutralized terrorists in Niger State, which was later debunked by Premium Times.
- Unfulfilled FX Injection: Shaibu pointed out that the Central Bank’s promise to inject $10 billion into the foreign exchange market remained unfulfilled, exacerbating the depreciation of the Naira.
- Clannish Appointments: The former vice president’s aide accused Tinubu of favoring a specific region in key appointments, contradicting his pledge to serve without prejudice.
- Dubious Afrexim Loan: Shaibu alleged that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s claim of obtaining a $3 billion Afrexim loan was a ruse, given the Naira’s continued decline.
- Deceptive Student Loan Act: Shaibu concluded by criticizing the Student Loan Act, signed by Tinubu, for purportedly only covering tuition fees, leading to fee hikes in government schools and rendering the act ineffective.
Shaibu urged the Nigerian media to rigorously fact-check government claims to preserve their credibility and ensure accountability.
