Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a prominent political figure and former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, has launched a scathing critique of former President Muhammadu Buhari, branding him the worst leader Nigeria has ever had.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed did not mince words as he tore into Buhari’s eight-year rule, describing it as a catastrophic failure that brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerians.
“From my experience — and I’m 70 years old — I don’t think we’ve had a government that governed less, cared less for the poor, or failed more spectacularly at setting national priorities,” he said.
A former chairman of Buhari’s party in his state and an early campaign supporter, Baba-Ahmed said he and many others had placed their hopes in Buhari in 2015, believing he would lead a strong anti-corruption charge and tackle insecurity, especially the Boko Haram insurgency that plagued Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
“We supported him not because he was a northerner, but because we believed he was the better option at the time,” he said. “Unfortunately, he turned out to be the opposite of what we expected. He didn’t represent the North. He was more interested in the prestige of the office than the responsibility of governance.”
According to him, Buhari’s administration failed to live up to the expectations of Nigerians, especially in key areas such as poverty alleviation, national cohesion, and security.
“We thought he would unify the country and be tough on corruption, but instead, what we got was indifference, mismanagement, and a presidency that simply stopped listening. We began with private counsel, but when that didn’t work, we had no choice but to go public with our concerns.”
Baba-Ahmed, who resigned from the Tinubu administration in March 2024, also offered a candid reflection on his brief time in government, saying he no longer believes in its capacity to address Nigeria’s deepening crises.
“I don’t regret joining the Tinubu administration — at least I gave it a chance. But with what I’ve seen so far, I wouldn’t make that decision again. There’s no fire, no real urgency. It feels more like a performance than a plan to rebuild a broken nation.”
He criticised President Tinubu’s policy implementation, particularly in the aftermath of the fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the naira, accusing the government of being reactive and unprepared.
“Nigerians voted for Tinubu hoping for a fix, but it’s clear now that the administration wasn’t truly ready. The advisers are scrambling to fix problems as they emerge. There’s a massive disconnect between the rhetoric and the reality on the ground,” he said.
On the worsening security situation, Baba-Ahmed painted a grim picture.
“Go to Niger, Plateau, Benue — more blood is being spilled today than two years ago. Yet, the government releases statistics claiming violence has dropped. Who gives them these numbers? Do they even understand what Nigerians are going through?”
His comments reflect growing disillusionment among segments of the political elite who once rallied around Buhari and, more recently, Tinubu. As Nigeria’s economic and security challenges persist, voices like Baba-Ahmed’s are adding to the pressure on the Tinubu administration to move beyond rhetoric and deliver tangible change.
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