ABUJA – The Presidency has strongly refuted claims by former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that Nigeria is being ravaged by hunger, describing his remarks as misleading and disconnected from the nation’s current realities.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Atiku’s comparison of Nigeria’s situation to the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 is both exaggerated and irresponsible.

“Talk is cheap. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments unfolding in our country,” the statement read. “Their claim that hunger is ravaging Nigeria, and their comparison to historic revolutions, is grossly misleading.”

The Presidency emphasized that recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) contradicts Atiku’s assertions. Headline inflation, it noted, has declined for five consecutive months, while the country recently recorded a significant trade surplus, with non-oil exports contributing almost equally to trade as crude oil (48:52 per cent).

It further disclosed that Nigeria’s foreign reserves have risen to nearly $42 billion, up from $32 billion when President Tinubu assumed office, despite the clearance of more than $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to airlines.

Highlighting revenue growth, the Presidency stated that under President Tinubu, states now pay salaries and gratuities promptly and still have sufficient funds for capital and social projects—an unprecedented development in the nation’s recent history.

 _The statement added: “Nigeria is firmly on the right track. By contrast, Atiku and his party remain trapped in the past, promoting doomsday rhetoric. Ironically, many of the challenges we face today stem from the economic mismanagement of the PDP era, when Atiku was Vice President. President Tinubu and his team are implementing bold reforms to correct those errors.”_ 

The Presidency concluded that in just over two years, the Tinubu administration has recorded tangible progress that Nigerians can see and feel, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable growth and national stability.