A prominent APC chieftain, Josef Onoh, has sharply criticized former President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing his eight-year tenure of being riddled with corruption and insecurity.
In a statement issued on Friday, Onoh countered Buhari’s claims of improved security and economic stability during his administration.
Onoh asserted that Buhari inherited a struggling economy and severe security challenges from the 16-year-long PDP regime. Rather than reversing these trends, he claimed Buhari’s government worsened the situation.
“Under your watch, Nigeria descended into economic collapse, monumental corruption, and rampant insecurity,” Onoh said, challenging Buhari’s narrative of progress.
He pointed to stark statistics to support his allegations. Onoh noted that when Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015, Nigeria had witnessed 34,972 deaths due to security-related incidents—a figure that soared to 98,083 by May 16, 2023.
He broke down the fatalities further, citing 27,311 deaths in Buhari’s first term and an additional 35,800 between 2019 and May 2023. “Even during the Civil War, Nigeria had not experienced such levels of insecurity,” he added.
Onoh also highlighted Nigeria’s dismal global rankings during Buhari’s presidency. In 2019, Nigeria was listed as the third most terrorized nation on the Global Terrorism Index—trailing only Afghanistan and Iraq—and was ranked 148th out of 163 countries on the Global Peace Index.
He argued that these figures reflected a government that was either unwilling or incapable of securing the nation.
Blaming Buhari for creating an environment that facilitated the expansion of insurgent groups like Boko Haram, Onoh contended that the fallout from his administration’s policies continues to burden President Bola Tinubu’s government.
He recalled the abandonment of one of West Africa’s largest fish markets in Baga—a once-thriving hub now deserted due to the ongoing threat of insurgency.
In his concluding remarks, Onoh warned that any assessment of Buhari’s legacy must reckon with the long-term damage inflicted on Nigeria’s security and economic landscapes.
“Your eight years in office turned Nigeria into a Las Vegas of insecurity and corruption,” he declared, urging a reevaluation of Buhari’s record in light of these enduring challenges.
