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Presidency Denies Ordering Northern Ministers To Defend Tinubu’s Administration

Published

1 month ago

Feb 9, 2025.

Presidency denies directing northern ministers to defend Tinubu.
Officials say public officeholders are simply doing their jobs.
Onanuga insists it is normal for ministers to respond to criticism.

The Presidency has refuted claims that it directed northern ministers in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to aggressively defend the administration against mounting criticism from opposition figures.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that this reaction follows reports suggesting that the government had issued directives to key political leaders, ministers, and top appointees to counter negative narratives from critics.

Speaking on the matter, a Presidency official who spoke with The Punch dismissed the claims, stating that ministers defending Tinubu’s administration were simply performing their duties and were not acting under any coercion.

The official further emphasized that it is standard practice for public officeholders to respond to criticism, particularly concerning government policies and governance.

Addressing the reports, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, maintained that ministers were acting on their own accord in defending the administration.

“Those ministers are doing their jobs. Nobody asked them to respond. They are simply doing their jobs. When you find a lot of people just talking as they like, somebody needs to react to them and tell them that what they are saying is not the truth.

Presidency Northern Ministers Tinubu

“Being in government, they need to speak for the government. It is not just for the Minister of Information. Whether a minister is from the North, South, or East, they need to speak,” Onanuga stated.