A former Director of Public Affairs at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, has urged Nigerians to forgive the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, arguing that it was members of his inner circle who sabotaged his administration.
Dr. Jimoh, now an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Abuja, made the appeal in a statement on Monday, saying Buhari came into office with genuine intentions to reform the country but was let down by close aides and powerful cabinet members.
He noted that Buhari’s original vision was to address maladministration, revive the economy, reduce poverty, and tackle insecurity. However, he said this vision was hijacked by individuals within his “kitchen cabinet” who failed to uphold the trust placed in them.
“Late President Buhari had the best of plans and intentions to rescue Nigeria from maladministration, economic woes, poverty, and insecurity. Unfortunately, some members of his kitchen cabinet who were entrusted with significant responsibilities betrayed that trust and derailed his lofty vision for the country,” Dr. Jimoh stated.
While acknowledging that ultimate responsibility rests with the president, Jimoh insisted that many of Buhari’s appointees pursued personal agendas, undermining the reforms he had hoped to implement.
He appealed to Nigerians to view Buhari’s legacy through the lens of his intentions rather than the failings of those who surrounded him.
“I totally disagree with anyone who claims there were no cabals during Buhari’s administration,” he said. “Every government has a cabal or what you may euphemistically refer to as the kitchen cabinet and oligarchic influencers. The problem is when these groups overshadow the president’s vision and sabotage it from within.”
Dr. Jimoh described Buhari as a pious, honest, and patriotic statesman who was “tragically betrayed” by those closest to him.
He said the overwhelming goodwill that brought Buhari to power in 2015 was “squandered by wicked individuals who failed to match his vision with effective governance.”
Citing a private conversation he had with the former First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, in 2018, Dr. Jimoh said she had expressed disappointment with the performance of key government officials and state governors, describing them as “below expectations.”
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According to him, the former First Lady was determined to continue pushing for the realization of the late president’s dream of a better Nigeria.
“This is why I am asking Nigerians to forgive Buhari,” he added. “Let us rather blame the cabals who derailed his administration. This is a vital lesson for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure his own kitchen cabinet does not sabotage his Renewed Hope agenda.”
Dr. Jimoh further cited teachings from both the Bible and the Quran, which encourage forgiveness, especially in light of the Buhari family’s recent plea for national understanding and reconciliation.
The statement comes amid ongoing debates among citizens and political analysts over the true legacy of Buhari’s presidency, which ran from 2015 to 2023 and was marked by both achievements and criticism, particularly in areas of economy, security, and governance.
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