‘Real scammers are ADC politicians’, Onanuga tackles Aregbesola over criticism of Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda

The special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu,  Bayo Onanuga, has criticised Rauf Aregbesola over his comments on the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.

Aregbesola, national secretary of the African Democratic Congress, made the remarks on Tuesday at the party’s national convention in Abuja, where he questioned the fulfilment of Tinubu’s promises 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.”

In response, Onanuga described the remarks as misleading and accused Aregbesola of failing to reflect on his own record in 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 further alleged that Aregbesola’s time as governor of Osun State was marked by hardship and irregular salary payments.

“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 also criticised Aregbesola’s tenure as minister of interior, linking it to security lapses and prison breaks.

“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 concluded by defending the administration’s policies, insisting that the Renewed Hope agenda is delivering results.

“No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scammers are the politicians gathered inside the SPV called ADC,” he added.