Sowore extended his criticism to the current administration, alleging continuity rather than departure from Buhari’s governing style.
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has launched a sharp critique of the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s years in office, describing his presidency as one shaped by fear, secrecy, and deep distrust of those around him.
In a brief statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Sowore said accounts from Buhari’s immediate family members, including his wife, Aisha, aides, and senior government officials, consistently portrayed a leader overwhelmed by suspicion and insecurity.
“Going by the accounts of his wife, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, ministers, security aides, and even his children, Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency was driven by an extreme, consuming fear and suspicion of everyone around him,” Sowore wrote.
He added, “Those closest to him repeatedly described a leader crippled by insecurity, disconnected from the realities of governance, and trapped in a mindset of deep distrust.”
According to Sowore, beyond Buhari’s widely acknowledged health challenges during his time in office, what truly defined the administration was what he called a “mental siege” that affected decision-making at the highest level.
“Apart from debilitating physical health challenges, it was this atmosphere of mental siege of intense fear, secrecy, and PARANOIA that shaped the dysfunction, chaos, and disastrous decisions that defined his years in power,” he said.
Sowore extended his criticism to the current administration, alleging continuity rather than departure from Buhari’s governing style.
“The man, President Bola Tinubu, who has vowed to continue Buhari’s failed legacy, has some of these in common, too!” he stated.
Buhari served as Nigeria’s civilian president from 2015 to 2023, after previously ruling the country as a military head of state between 1983 and 1985.
His administration was frequently criticised for economic difficulties, worsening insecurity, human rights abuses, and concerns over transparency.
During Buhari’s tenure, his prolonged medical absences abroad, particularly in the early years of his administration, sparked widespread debate about his fitness for office and the concentration of power within a small circle of aides.
His wife, Aisha, at multiple times publicly expressed concerns about the influence of unelected individuals around the president and the direction of his administration.
Sowore, a longtime critic of successive Nigerian governments, has repeatedly accused both the Buhari and Tinubu administrations of authoritarian tendencies, poor governance, and failure to address citizens’ economic and security challenges.
Sowore’s latest remarks come after the former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, revealed why her late husband, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, rarely sacked underperforming aides, and later pleaded on behalf of some allies facing probes.
The former First Lady said the question that haunts the Buhari presidency remains “why weren’t those who ‘disappointed him, ministers who could not deliver, [service] chiefs who outlasted their prime, replaced?”
The former First Lady said that advancing age and a sensitivity to the “dictator” label from the 1980s made Buhari wary of being seen as ruthless.
She said that the late former President also feared the stigma, and would always say, “If I remove him, they will say I am this and that. The devil you know.”