A former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Malam Garba Shehu, has admitted that his former boss ran a slow-paced government but attributed it to Buhari’s transition from a military ruler to a committed democrat.
Shehu made this known during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday night, where he said Buhari deliberately chose to follow due process, even when Nigerians were demanding immediate action on national issues.
“Was he slow? Yeah, he himself had joked about all of that,” Shehu said. “When he came in as military head of state, he was brash, he just did things on impulse and ordered people to be locked up. But this time, as a converted democrat, he needed to follow the due processes that the law says he should follow.”
Shehu insisted that Buhari’s perceived slow approach was not a sign of weakness but a mark of his commitment to democratic values.
“What is wrong with that? Nigerians are very impatient. We want to rush through things. But he says, ‘No. The democratic process sets the rules. And I must not go against them,’” he added.
On the perception that Buhari was detached from the affairs of the country while in office, Shehu dismissed such claims, stating that the former president was one of the most well-informed leaders Nigeria has had.
“This thing about Buhari being unaware, it is totally, totally misplaced,” he said. “If you permit me, I would say that he perhaps would pass as the most aware president Nigeria has ever had.”
He noted that Buhari was not interested in seeking public validation or dominating media headlines, preferring instead to let his achievements speak for themselves.
Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s military ruler from 1983 to 1985, returned as a democratically elected president in 2015 after defeating incumbent Goodluck Jonathan. He went on to rule for eight years under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Despite his historic election victory, Buhari’s tenure was marked by controversial economic policies, with many Nigerians blaming his administration for the current economic hardship and rising cost of living.
