Presidency Responds to Report Saying Nigerians Dislike Tinubu

(President Bola Tinubu. Photo by Naijaonpoint)

The Presidency has rejected a report by The Economist which claimed that many Nigerians dislike President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on Tuesday, the President's Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, called the claim intellectual fraud.

The Economist published its report on October 1.

It said Tinubu could still win the 2027 election despite widespread public anger.

It pointed to his place as sitting president and his access to the ruling party's machinery as things that could help him.

It also named a divided opposition, religion and voter cynicism as factors that could shape the result.

The Presidency said the report gave a twisted picture of Nigeria and the Tinubu government.

Dare said foreign media often look at Nigeria in a narrow way and ignore how complex the country is.

He described the claim that Nigerians hate Tinubu as a lazy and hollow fiction.

He said the government took over a weak economy in May 2023, weighed down by fuel subsidy, many foreign exchange windows, heavy debt payments and years of poor spending on key infrastructure.

According to him, the administration chose to deal with these problems instead of pushing them aside, and the hardship people feel is part of fixing old distortions.

The Presidency listed the end of fuel subsidy and the reform of the forex market as its major moves.

It said removing subsidy saved the federation trillions of naira, while the forex changes cut market abuse and helped bring in more foreign investment, trade surpluses and stronger reserves.

Dare also pointed to the student loan scheme, NELFUND, saying hundreds of thousands of poor students can now attend higher institutions without paying tuition.

Other items on the list were local government autonomy, the higher minimum wage, Compressed Natural Gas buses, and farm support such as fertiliser, agro-loans and tractors.

He said students, workers, local government officials and farmers who have gained from these steps can speak for the reforms.

He added that the idea of millions of Nigerians hating Tinubu falls apart when you meet everyday reality.

Dare admitted that Nigeria still faces economic, political and security problems, but said they should not be used to paint a picture of general despair.

He insisted that Tinubu's policies have put the country on an irreversible path to steady growth, financial independence and long-term prosperity.