You prepared reactions before President’s speech — Onanuga slams Tinubu’s critics

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has hit back at politicians who criticised the President’s Independence Day speech, accusing them of ignoring his position on economic reforms.

​In a post on Friday, Onanuga said some of the politicians had prepared their reactions before Tinubu delivered the October 1 address.

He said they ignored what he described as an “immutable truth” in the President’s speech.

Quoting Tinubu, Onanuga wrote, “Our reforms did not create the weaknesses in our economy. They confronted them.”

Tinubu had warned against calls to abandon the reforms and return to subsidies, describing such appeals as a “siren song” and the subsidies as “addictive.”

The President also claimed that Nigeria’s economy had grown by over four per cent in 2026, with both the oil and non-oil sectors contributing to the growth.

“Our economy has grown by over 4 per cent this year. Both oil and non-oil sectors have contributed to the renewed period of stable growth,” Tinubu said.