Nigerians Blast Onanuga Over Comments On Aregbesola

Presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, has come under severe attack by Nigerians over his recent comments against the former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Aregbesola had, during the national convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as a scam.

But in a swift reaction, Onanuga, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, made attempts to defend the Tinubu administration.

However, Onanuga was attacked by Nigerians on various social media handles, especially his (Onanuga) Facebook page, with series of comments against him.

A Facebook user with the name Wahab Omo Abiona said “Bayo Onanuga, who is this? Can you answer this question. How much has your Boss spent on Electricity? Your Government has borrowed more than all the predecessors all together. What has been the achievement? Nothing, but Rice as solution to every problem. Ricenania

Also one Michael G Clark wrote on Onanuga’s Facebook page that “This attempt to discredit Aregbesola does not change the fact that Nigerians are currently facing severe economic pressure, insecurity and declining public trust in governance.

“You cannot defend present performance by endlessly recycling past political grievances while citizens struggle with real-time hardship. If the Renewed Hope Agenda is truly working, it should speak through visible results in people’s daily lives—not through attacks on dissenting voices.

Nigerians will change this government.

In another development, a Facebook user, Tunde Akogun, said, “You wrote a whole epistle without addressing the key issues raised by Ogbeni. In the end, your piece comes across as shallow, petty and reeks of chicanery.”

On his own, Banky Alesh wrote “Na soso grammar we dey read from you since inception of Tinubu broda Bayo!  Honestly, I wonder how you will feel by the time Tinubu finishes his first and only term in office seeing how badly your person had turned into in the face of the whole world compared to your glorious days at The News Magazine  defending the indefensible maladies of Tinubu administration.

On his own, Okechukwu Nwajuma wrote “Bayo Onanuga’s attempt to dismiss criticism by attacking Rauf Aregbesola collapses under the weight of the very record of the administration he is defending.

“If this is about accountability, then it must begin with his principal, Bola Ahmed Tinubu—whose governance record Nigerians are living through daily, not in theory but in harsh reality.

First, on the economy. It is disingenuous to claim success when millions of Nigerians are being pushed deeper into poverty under policies that were poorly sequenced and insensitively implemented.

“The abrupt removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira—without adequate safeguards—triggered runaway inflation, wiped out savings, and devastated small businesses. Claims that inflation has dropped dramatically or that food prices are “crashing” are far removed from lived experience in markets across the country. Nigerians are not suffering from amnesia—they are suffering from hunger.

“Secondly, on governance credibility. This is an administration that came into office under a cloud of legitimacy concerns and has struggled to build public trust. Rather than engaging dissent with humility, it has often resorted to propaganda, deflection and attacks on critics. Branding opposition voices as “desperados” does not substitute for performance.

“Thirdly, on security. It is simply not enough to say the government is “investing in equipment” while insecurity remains widespread. Across many parts of Nigeria, citizens still face banditry, kidnappings, and violent attacks. The duty of government is not to manage narratives but to ensure safety. The persistence of these threats raises serious questions about strategy, coordination, and accountability within the security architecture.

“Fourthly, on policy outcomes. The so-called “Renewed Hope Agenda” cannot be measured by abstract macroeconomic indicators alone. What matters is whether ordinary Nigerians can afford food, transportation, healthcare, and education. On these counts, the situation has deteriorated significantly. Economic reforms without a human face become instruments of hardship rather than progress.

“Finally, the attempt to rewrite history by portraying past failures of others as justification for present inadequacies is a weak defence. If Rauf Aregbesola has questions to answer about his time in office, that does not absolve Bola Ahmed Tinubu of responsibility for current conditions. Leadership is about ownership, not excuses.

“Nigerians deserve honest leadership that listens, reflects, and corrects course—not one that dismisses criticism while citizens bear the brunt of policy failures. If anything, this moment calls for less spin and more accountability.”

Also, a Facebook user Olabanji Olaleye wrote

“If you like write epistle from now till tomorrow,  our vote and support is for ADC.”