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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.

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