Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party's presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has expressed concerns about alleged plans by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to implement a regime of propaganda as a state policy in the near future. This alarm was raised by Atiku's Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement released on Sunday.

According to Shaibu, the recent dissemination of fake news about the United Arab Emirates lifting the visa ban was just the beginning of these alleged propaganda efforts. He asserted that Tinubu has been assembling numerous media aides with the intention of propagating misinformation to distract Nigerians from the challenges his administration has allegedly caused them. Shaibu claimed that this has been Tinubu's modus operandi since his days as the governor of Lagos and leader of his party.

Shaibu went on to explain that Tinubu is expected to intensify his propaganda efforts during his trip to the United Nations General Assembly. He predicts that Tinubu may make grand claims about attracting foreign investments worth $100 billion without providing crucial details, which he dismisses as mere propaganda.

Furthermore, Shaibu highlighted past instances where similar claims of attracting foreign investments turned out to be unverified. He cited examples like President Muhammadu Buhari's claim of securing pledges of up to $6 billion in 2018 and the recent assertion by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that it had obtained a $3 billion loan to stabilize the naira, which was later criticized as misleading.

Regarding economic policies, Shaibu pointed out that Tinubu's FX unification policy appeared to be failing, with Nigeria being downgraded from a frontier market to an unclassified status by FTSE. Instead of recruiting more economic experts, Shaibu noted that Tinubu had appointed over 15 media aides to drive a propaganda agenda.

Shaibu also criticized Tinubu for holding only one cabinet meeting since his inauguration, despite promising to hit the ground running. He highlighted issues such as the removal of petrol subsidies without a clear plan and the persistently low minimum wage as causes for concern among Nigerians.

In conclusion, Shaibu called on Nigerians to remain patient as the Supreme Court prepares to address the election petition appeal. He expressed the belief that the judicial authorities will address the alleged electoral fraud that he claims has negatively impacted the country.