Watching Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, during his recent appearance on Arise Television was deeply concerning. While it is expected for a presidential spokesperson to defend the administration, Onanuga’s history of appearing detached from the struggles of everyday Nigerians is troubling. This behavior mirrors his previous dismissals of national hardship during his time at the News Agency of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari, where he notoriously labeled public complaints as propaganda.
During the interview, Onanuga claimed that claims of hunger across the nation are largely exaggerated, suggesting that his own domestic staff do not report such conditions. He even went as far as to suggest that some government ministers are so dedicated to public service that they utilize their personal finances to manage their ministries, an admission that highlights the severe underfunding of the current government’s operational budgets. Such comments, intended to praise the administration, instead expose a disconnect that is alarming for the country’s governance.
This media engagement occurred shortly after a heated exchange between the presidency and Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate. Obi had suggested that President Tinubu should consider resigning due to the nation’s economic struggles, using British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership as a benchmark for accountability. The presidency responded with personal attacks, dismissing Obi’s suggestion as immature. However, critics point out that President Tinubu himself once demanded the resignation of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014, making the current administration’s stance appear contradictory. The insistence that presidential resignation is impossible ignores both constitutional provisions and historical global precedents.
