Buhari Stands Firm, Does not Regret Any of His Governance Decisions – Garba Shehu Replies Femi Adesina

In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, Garba Shehu, the former Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity) to President Muhammadu Buhari, vehemently asserted that the former president harbours no regrets regarding the decisions he made during his time in office.

The interview came in response to news reports suggesting that Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity during Buhari’s presidency, had claimed that the former president regretted certain decisions made during his eight-year tenure. However, Shehu dismissed these reports as misinterpretations and instances of remarks taken out of context.

Shehu stated, “The newspaper that carried the story wanted to attract people’s attention and make sales. If not, what’s it that was done that would lead to regrets?” He emphasized that all decisions made by President Buhari during his tenure were rooted in a genuine commitment to serving the Nigerian people and not driven by any selfish motives. Thus, the notion of regret was unwarranted.

Highlighting Buhari’s achievements in various sectors, Shehu defended the former president’s legacy, saying, “Buhari has done so many things in different sectors for the people.” He acknowledged that criticism often follows leaders, comparing it to the proverbial eagerness of people to “bring out their knives and struggle for a cut” once an elephant falls.

Responding to allegations that Nigeria had faced numerous challenges during Buhari’s presidency, leading to current predicaments, Shehu argued that no government in the world could single-handedly resolve all of a nation’s problems. He pointed out the economic challenges resulting from fluctuations in oil prices and the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, asserting, “But, Alhamdulillah, Buhari brought the Nigerian economy out of that crisis.”

In closing, Shehu expressed confidence that history would ultimately acknowledge President Buhari’s contributions to Nigeria, urging fairness in evaluating his legacy. “Our leader, Muhammadu Buhari, has done well. And if people fail to talk about that now, perhaps they will talk about that in the future. They would be fair to him and talk about the good things he did in the country,” he concluded.