Friday, July 10, 2026

Buhari an incompetent, disappointing leader: Attahiru Jega

As the then-INEC chairman, Mr. Jega superintended over the election that saw the emergence of President Buhari in 2015.

• January 24, 2021
Buhari and Jega
Buhari and Jega used to illustrate the story

Attahiru Jega, erstwhile chairman of Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, has excoriated the Buhari administration over its perceived mediocrity and laziness in handling critical national issues.

Reeling out the scorecard of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Jega, a professor of political science, told Daily Trust on Sunday that the Nigerian leader who was reelected for a second term in 2019 – to the chagrin of many Nigerians – has been overwhelmingly disappointing since he took over the saddle in 2015.

“Unfortunately, he (President Buhari) has disappointed so many people,” Mr. Jega told Daily Trust.

“He still has time to correct things if he has the capacity to do that. But frankly, his government has been very disappointing,” the academic stated, noting that even well-wishers of the president were disturbed about the downward trajectory of the country.

Controversial fiscal policies of the Buhari government has left the Nigerian economy beleaguered by consecutive economic meltdowns and worsening food inflation, which has risen the highest under the present dispensation.

The country under Buhari has also witnessed emboldened resurgence of terrorism, armed banditry, widespread kidnapping and unrestrained herdsmen attacks.

Mr. Jega, who superintended over the election that saw the emergence of President Buhari in 2015, added that: “Governance has been very poor at the federal level and many of the states, that is why we are seeing challenges everywhere.”

The former INEC chief asserted that Mr. Buhari’s seeming inability to effectively marshal the rigors and complexities of governance had resulted in heightened calls for the restructuring of Nigeria.

Analysts have attributed Mr. Buhari’s debilitating performance to frail health, as many believe that the 78-year-old commander-in-chief may not be mentally-aware of happenings around the country.

Presidential spokesmen have yet to react to Mr. Jega’s assessment of the Nigerian leader.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Africa

Xenophobia: Uganda repatriates 1,102 citizens from South Africa

The Ugandan embassy said, “The arrival marks the successful conclusion of phase one of the government of Uganda’s voluntary repatriation exercise.”

National Assembly Complex

NationWide

CSOs urge assessment of National Assembly’s proposed electoral college for women legislators

“The proposal is unfamiliar to many stakeholders and understandably raises concerns, but we must carefully interrogate it instead of dismissing it outright,” he said.

Hot news Home top

Ryanair passenger partly sucked out of Boeing 737 plane as window dislodges after take-off

A witness said a passenger’s head and shoulders were sticking out of the broken window, and fellow passengers managed to pull him back inside the aircraft.

Lagos

LG chairman bans indiscriminate placement of banners, posters at Badagry roundabout 

“This will also improve visibility for motorists, prevent obstruction of traffic signs and maintain the aesthetic of one of Badagry’s busiest gateway corridors,” he said.

POS machines

Economy

Digital payments power Nigeria’s $11.09 billion food service industry: Moniepoint Study

The study projected that the market would reach $19.31 billion by 2030, expanding at an annual rate of 11.73 per cent.

ASP Eno Ikoedem

States

LG Poll: Edo police impose statewide movement restriction

The police command in Edo State announced movement restriction from 12:00 midnight to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday as part of measures for the local government election.