The Presidency on Tuesday launched a scathing rebuttal against former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, over his recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of failing in previous public offices he held.
Aregbesola, now the National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, had, at his party’s national convention in Abuja, described the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda as a “scam” and urged the President to step aside over alleged failure to fulfil campaign promises.
Reacting, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement shared on Tuesday, faulted Aregbesola’s remarks, saying the former minister had ignored what he termed his own “poor record” in office.
Onanuga alleged that Aregbesola’s eight-year tenure as governor of Osun State was marked by hardship for residents, citing issues such as salary backlogs, abandoned projects, and fiscal mismanagement.
He further criticised Aregbesola’s performance as Minister of Interior, claiming that the period witnessed significant operational challenges, including difficulties in passport processing and multiple security breaches across correctional facilities in parts of the country, which led to mass inmate escapes.
The Presidency described it as ironic that Aregbesola, who once served as a close ally to Tinubu, would now publicly attack the administration, insisting that his record in government undermined the credibility of his claims.
Onanuga also took a swipe at the African Democratic Congress, portraying it as a political platform lacking clear direction or viable policy alternatives for Nigerians.
He added that Aregbesola’s successor in Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, made efforts to stabilise the state’s finances after his tenure, while the incumbent, Ademola Adeleke, continues to grapple with its aftermath.
Aregbesola, who previously served as Commissioner for Works in Lagos under Tinubu before becoming governor and later minister during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has yet to respond to the Presidency’s latest remarks.