A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Josef Onoh, has lambasted former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing his eight-year tenure as one marred by “monumental corruption and insecurity.”
Onoh’s statement, issued on Friday, was a direct response to Buhari’s claim that his administration significantly improved Nigeria’s security and economy.
Buhari had stated that he inherited a struggling economy and security crisis from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but successfully tackled both during his time in office.
Countering these claims, Onoh argued that Buhari’s leadership led to economic collapse and heightened insecurity, with the current administration of President Bola Tinubu still grappling with the consequences.
“Nigerians today accuse Tinubu’s administration of being the worst they have met without knowing that the President chose to be silent and carry his cross alone without shouting or calling names,” Onoh stated.
He further accused Buhari of presiding over a period of unprecedented bloodshed, citing figures that placed the number of deaths under his watch at 98,083 between 2015 and 2023.
He added that Nigeria ranked high on the Global Terrorism Index and low on the Global Peace Index during Buhari’s tenure.
“Your administration yesterday introduced ‘Ranka ya Dede Nepotism,’ today, it’s ‘Emilokan,’ tomorrow it might be ‘Igbo Kwenu,’ and what will be next tomorrow’s catchphrase? Because your eight years in office was truly the Las Vegas of insecurity and corruption,” Onoh declared.
He also blamed Buhari’s failure to handle insecurity for the decline in foreign direct investment, asserting that under his watch, businesses like the once-thriving fish market in Baga were abandoned due to Boko Haram’s insurgency.
Onoh concluded that Buhari should acknowledge the realities of his administration rather than giving himself undue credit, emphasizing that the damage done continues to affect Nigeria’s economic and security landscape.
