“Buhari Didn’t Represent the North — He’s Nigeria’s Worst President,” Says Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former special adviser on political matters to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, has described former president Muhammadu Buhari as the worst leader in Nigeria’s history. Speaking on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed said Buhari was more invested in holding the office of the president than in actually governing the country. According to him, the former president did not represent the interests of the north as many had expected.

“Buhari didn’t represent the north. We saw him as a better option, not because he was a northerner, but because at the time, he was a better option than Goodluck Jonathan,” Baba-Ahmed said. “We thought he’d be tough on corruption and would unify the country. But he turned out to be the opposite.”

He criticised the administration for lacking compassion for the poor, poor governance, and misplaced priorities. “I don’t think we have had a government that is worse than that of Buhari,” he said. “From my experience — I’m 70 years old — I haven’t seen a government that governed less, cared less for the poor, or failed more at setting priorities.”

Baba-Ahmed, who once chaired Buhari’s party in his state and was active in his campaign, said disappointment began to set in just months into the administration. “We saw he was more interested in being president than actually governing. We started with private advice, then moved to public criticism when it became clear he wouldn’t listen,” he said.

Reflecting on his own time in government under President Bola Tinubu, Baba-Ahmed, who resigned from his role in March, said he had no regrets about joining but wouldn’t make the same decision again. “Given the current trajectory, I wouldn’t do it again. I didn’t see the fire, the commitment, the zeal to fix a broken country. I saw more of a façade.”

He accused the current administration of being unprepared for the challenges of governance, saying advisers were reacting to crises rather than preventing them. “Nigerians voted for Tinubu in 2023 hoping he’d fix the country. He removed subsidies and promised tough reforms, but he wasn’t truly prepared. His advisers are scrambling to fix problems after they emerge.”

Baba-Ahmed also challenged official claims of improved security, pointing to continued bloodshed in states like Niger, Plateau, and Benue. “More blood is being shed now than two years ago. Yet, they release statistics claiming there’s less violence. Who gives them these numbers? Do they even know how Nigerians are living?”