The Nigerian presidency has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it won’t dignify him with a response.

This comes after Atiku advised President Tinubu to focus on governance rather than attacking political opponents.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the president is “incompetent” and “unprepared.” He cited the government’s handling of the compressed natural gas (CNG) initiative as an example of poor planning.

Reacting through Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation, the Presidency said the government’s priority is to deliver relief to Nigerians and implement ongoing reforms.

“We have a country to run, we are done with Atiku. Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected by Nigerians to run this country and that is the focus right now to bring succour to our people, to deliver on the reforms that are ongoing, that is what is important for now and that’s the focus,” he said.

In his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy. As a result, the price per litre of petrol surged from about N184 to over N1,000.

Also, the government unified foreign exchange (forex) windows, leading to a sharp decline in the value of the local currency—from around $1/N700 to over $1/N1600 on the parallel market. This change caused the prices of food and basic goods to skyrocket, leaving Nigerians struggling with the impact of rising inflation.