Nigerian human rights activist Dele Farotimi stated that President Bola Tinubu cannot distance himself from the poor performance of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Some ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet have been blaming the current economic difficulties on Buhari’s failures.
In an interview with ChannelsTV on Friday night, Farotimi argued that Tinubu promoted Buhari as the best candidate for the job in both the 2015 and 2019 elections.
As the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu played a significant role in presenting Buhari to Nigerians before the 2015 elections and therefore cannot avoid responsibility for the Buhari government’s shortcomings.
Farotimi emphasized that there has been no improvement since the APC took over from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in May 2015.
“The evidence of the last nine months is unimpeachable and cannot be denied. I know that the convenient excuse is that Buhari had damaged it (Nigeria) and he (Tinubu) is repairing it but who brought Buhari? Who was the chief marketer of Buhari in 2014/2015 when the ‘Change’ lie was sold to Nigerians?” he queried.
Farotimi expressed disappointment that the Tinubu government has not taken any positive actions.
He believes that Nigerians should prepare for more challenges, in addition to the economic difficulties caused by the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates.
Farotimi painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s future, stating, “I am going to be 56 years old this year and in my entire lifetime, we have never been far away from greatness than we are today. The future of Nigeria appears bleak than it has ever been in my entire lifetime.”
He attributed the problems in Nigeria to “each and every one of us,” but especially to the “complete breakdown of the rule of law.”
Farotimi pointed out that Nigeria has many laws on paper, but in reality, there is no true rule of law as “the laws are often violated.”
“Nigeria as it is today is not ruled by law but by impunity,” he said. “When you look beyond that, you begin to look at the institutions of state.”
Farotimi emphasized that in order for the nation to progress, it is crucial to prioritize the principles of justice within the judiciary, legislature, and executive branches.
