South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has openly criticized the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, describing his eight-year rule as biased, unjust, nepotistic, uncivil, and filled with religious bigotry.
Clark’s comments came in a statement reacting to Buhari’s remarks at the public presentation in Abuja of the book “Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media, and Publicity (2015-2023),” authored by Femi Adesina. Another book, “Buhari, the Nigerian Legacy (Volume 1–5),” was also launched alongside Adesina’s book.
According to a report by Vanguard, Clark expressed his dismay at Buhari’s self-praising statements during the book presentation, contrasting sharply with the general public’s assessment of his administration. “To most of us as Nigerians, Muhammadu Buhari failed abysmally as president. His administration was full of insecurity, economic collapse, injustice, religious bigotry, and a lack of direction. The eight years of his administration plunged Nigeria and Nigerians five decades backwards,” he stated.
Even Buhari’s successor, current President Bola Tinubu, acknowledged these shortcomings in his speech at the event, according to Clark. Clark recalled his own farewell message to Buhari, written on the eve of his exit from the presidency on May 28, 2023, where he echoed similar sentiments.
In his critique, Clark pointed out Buhari’s tendency to favor his tribe and religion, as evidenced by his appointment of 14 out of 17 security chiefs from one section of the country. This, according to Clark, contradicted Buhari’s inaugural speech, where he claimed, “He belongs to everybody and nobody.” Clark asserted that the reality of Buhari’s tenure was quite the opposite, emphasizing that he belonged to some, but not all, of Nigeria.
