The presidency has criticised former governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, over comments he made about the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, in a statement on Tuesday, accused Aregbesola of attacking the government at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) convention.

He said: “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.

“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.

“Unfortunately, Aregbesola did not undertake any honest self-reflection on his own record in public office—as governor or as Minister of Interior.”

He alleged that Aregbesola’s tenure as governor of Osun state was marked by hardship and salary challenges.

“His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people.

“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 said.

Onanuga said Aregbesola’s record undermines his criticism of the current administration.

“This is the same man who now has the effrontery to attack the Tinubu administration, despite his tenure in Osun leaving a legacy of unpaid salaries, financial recklessness, abandoned projects, and misguided policies that brought the state to ruin,” he said.

He added that Aregbesola’s tenure as minister of interior witnessed multiple jailbreaks.

“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.

“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,” he said.

Onanuga said it was ironic for Aregbesola to criticise the government on insecurity.

“For someone who failed so woefully to secure our correctional centres and uphold his duties between 2019 and 2023, it is ironic that Aregbesola now seeks to lecture others on insecurity. Maybe he thinks the entire Nigerian population suffers from amnesia,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against what he described as “power-hungry individuals”.

“Politicians may indulge in cheap talk and easy criticism, but Nigerians must never forget the abysmal records of Rauf and his fellow desperados.

“Nigerians must remain vigilant, lest power-hungry individuals with no programme attempt to hoodwink them,” he said.

Onanuga said the Tinubu administration has implemented measures to address economic challenges.

“The government has been investing in more and more equipment for the military and has sought assistance from foreign governments to battle the inherited scourge of terrorism and banditry.

“The administration’s Renewed Hope Programme is on track and has received global praise.

“We have seen the effects of how it has increased GDP and our foreign reserves, made our country the toast of investors, and made our stock market bullish and prosperous.

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