Human rights lawyer and former national president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is history.
In a chat with Daily Independent, Agbakoba said under Buhari’s leadership, Nigeria is now “broken politically, strategically, morally, and completely bankrupt,”, adding that the president had lost the goodwill with which he rode to power in 2015.
He added that judging by performance, nothing stands Buhari out as a qualified candidate in the forthcoming presidential election.
“Completely, President Buhari has no goodwill left. All the euphoria that was felt, I didn’t feel it, because I have always known his background,” he said.
“There was a huge euphoria of change that former President Goodluck Jonathan had not done well; that he presided over a highly corrupt government, and Buhari was the Mr. Clean, Mr. Integrity, and he will fix things. But that has not happened.
“On the contrary, Nigeria is broken politically, strategically, morally, and a completely bankrupt country. Poverty level has grown, 85 million Nigerians are extremely poor, we have now become the poverty capital of the world.
“So, the euphoria of 2015 is certainly not the euphoria of 2019, and that is why, personally, I am unable to support his campaign to remain in office.”
Agbakoba said Aisha Buhari, wife of the president, is also critical of the current administration, which, according to him, has not fulfilled any of its campaign promises.
“To support the campaign to remain in office for me is to look back at what he has done, the campaign promises on corruption, security, and the economy. These are the three big campaign issues, nothing has been fulfilled,” he said.
“In spite of all the monies borrowed, we are now pushing to over $30 billion borrowed money unaccountable, infrastructures all in pieces, corruption is rife.
“You remember the case of his SGF, Babachir Lawal; you also remember the case of Abdulrasheed Maina, and so on. So, there is nothing that stands him out as qualified to continue.
“Even Buhari’s wife has criticised the primary election that the APC held, so that will tell you that even in the other room in his house, he doesn’t have support.
“Why would I be supporting a man whose own wife does not even support him? For me, he is history. I just hope that we can have a new president.”
