The Presidency has criticised former Osun State governor and ex-Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, after he described President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda as a “scam” and urged Nigerians to stop the administration from retaining power.
Aregbesola, now national secretary of the African Democratic Congress, made the remarks on Tuesday at the party’s national convention in Abuja, where he accused the Tinubu administration of failing to address hardship and insecurity.
“If allowed, this regime will continue to chant renewed hope till eternity. We have a duty to stop these scammers from retaining power,” Aregbesola said.
Responding in a statement, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed the comments and accused Aregbesola of hypocrisy, saying he had no moral authority to criticise the administration after what he described as failures in his own public service record.
Onanuga described the ADC convention as “illegal” and labelled the party a gathering of “desperados and power mongers” without a credible plan for Nigeria.
He also attacked Aregbesola’s tenure as Osun governor, alleging that civil servants were owed salaries for months and that some workers and pensioners received only partial payments.
Onanuga further criticised Aregbesola’s time as Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the period was marked by jailbreaks, prison attacks and difficulties in obtaining Nigerian passports. He cited attacks on correctional facilities in Kuje, Jos, Imo, Kabba, Okitipupa and other locations.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam,” Onanuga said, arguing that the Tinubu administration had acknowledged the pains caused by reforms but was taking steps to stabilise the economy through wage adjustments, social support programmes and investment-focused policies.
The exchange reflects worsening relations between Tinubu’s camp and Aregbesola, once a close ally of the president in the progressive political bloc. It also highlights rising opposition activity ahead of the next election cycle, with the ADC positioning itself as a platform for politicians opposed to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The Presidency insisted that the administration’s reforms were already producing positive results, while Aregbesola and other ADC leaders argued that Nigerians were experiencing worsening hardship and needed a political alternative.
