A former political adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Akin Osuntokun, criticizes the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s record, saying Buhari is respected in Northern Nigeria but did not govern effectively. Speaking on Monday on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Osuntokun argues that Buhari did not meaningfully improve Nigerians’ living standards. He also says governance under Buhari coincided with worsening conflicts involving Hausa-Fulani militias, herders, and farmers.
Osuntokun links the escalation of violence to Buhari’s tenure, adding that Buhari repeatedly urged peaceful coexistence while, in Osuntokun’s view, tensions increased. The adviser also alleges Buhari presided over a government perceived as dominated by Northern interests, describing Buhari as unapologetic about that perception.
The criticism includes a reference to an episode during Buhari’s presidency when he led a Fulani-Muslim delegation to Ibadan to meet Governor Lam Adesina amid clashes in Oke-Ogun, which Osuntokun says illustrated Buhari’s open position of representing Fulani interests.
