Sunday Dare, the special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and public communication, has responded sharply to the recent criticisms from two prominent political figures, Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi. Dare referred to both men as “wannabes” and dismissed their attempts to undermine President Tinubu’s leadership.
This reaction comes after former Kaduna State Governor El-Rufai and ex-Minister of Transportation Amaechi publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the direction of Tinubu’s administration. El-Rufai recently voiced concerns about the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party of straying from its founding principles. He went as far as stating that the current leadership within the APC, including Tinubu, was responsible for poor governance, citing the involvement of “illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people” in the country’s leadership.
“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today,” El-Rufai said in a statement.
Despite his criticism, El-Rufai remains a member of the ruling party and has pledged to continue his outspoken stance against the APC, even if he finds himself working within Tinubu’s government.
Meanwhile, Amaechi, who is also a key political figure, commented on the difficulties of passing power from a sitting president to the younger generation. He warned that Tinubu and other members of the political class would not easily relinquish power, suggesting that the younger generation’s pursuit of leadership would face strong resistance.
In response to these comments, Sunday Dare took to social media on Saturday to defend President Tinubu, dismissing his opponents as “wannabes” who were simply trying to sow division within the party.
“While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria was away in Dar es Salaam, capital of Tanzania, seeking solutions to Nigeria’s energy problems, his political opponents and detractors were stirring trouble back home,” Dare wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
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Dare expressed that the criticisms from El-Rufai and Amaechi were part of a broader pattern of negativity from the opposition.
“It was a gathering convened to further spread ill will. Nothing new came out of the gathering different from the opposition script we are used to,” Dare stated, adding that some participants had even gone overboard in their harsh rhetoric.
He also warned Nigerians to carefully consider the motivations of these critics.
“These political gladiators have antecedents that are well known. We urge Nigerians to begin their scrutiny early and choose between political hecklers and real progressives,” Dare said.
Despite the mounting criticisms, Dare emphasized that President Tinubu remained focused on his leadership goals and was not distracted by the political infighting.
“President Tinubu, an avowed democrat, remains undistracted and unperturbed. The fight is ahead. Not now. The only conversation he wants to have now is how to improve the lives of Nigerian citizens and engage in constructive discourse on building a resilient economy,” Dare added.