Former President Muhammadu Buhari took the country back 50 years during his eight years in power, an elder statesman Edwin Clark, has said.
Buhari ruled the country between 2015 and 2023, his performance in office during the period has received mixed reactions from Nigerians.
Clark, the leader of the Southern and Middlebelt Leaders Forum, SMLF, was reacting to the public presentation of a book “Working with Buhari: Reflections of A Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023)” written by Femi Adesina, the former president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
Buhari had said during the launching of the book that he did his best for the country while in power.
Also, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who attended the event stated that Buhari served the country with uncommon zeal, saying history will be kind to him.
Elder statesman Clark disagrees with the assertion that the former president transformed the country, rating him low in economy, justice, security, among others. Buhari failed woefully in key metric areas, the former Minister of Information said on Thursday.
After reading the book, the Niger Delta leader said, “What struck me most is the attitude and statement of former President Buhari who eulogised his achievements as President of the country during the occasion. This I must say, is contrary to the assessment of majority of Nigerians of his administration.”
He said further: “To most of us as Nigerians, Muhammadu Buhari failed abysmally as President. His administration was full of insecurity, economic collapse, injustice, religious bigotry and lack of direction.
“The eight years of his administration plunged Nigeria and Nigerians, five decades backwards. Even his successor, the current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noted as much in his speech at the time occasion where Buhari was eulogising himself.”
The book launch which took place on Wednesday was attended by other prominent Nigerians such as Yakubu Gowon, a former head of state, Aisha Buhari, the wife of the former president, among others.
