“Fairness Is Owed First to the Living”: Activist Sowore Condemns Buhari’s Presidency as Era of Broken Promises

 

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has delivered a damning verdict on the legacy of former President Muhammadu Buhari, sharply criticizing his administration as one riddled with incompetence, deception, and enduring pain for ordinary Nigerians.

During a revealing interview with Sunday PUNCH, Sowore did not mince words as he picked apart Buhari’s two-term presidency. According to him, the former general’s time in office symbolized one of the most profound betrayals in the country’s political history. Far from delivering on the promise of change, Sowore argued that Buhari's rule deepened Nigeria’s wounds while offering nothing more than illusionary leadership.

Sowore described Buhari’s governance as cold and detached, accusing the former president of leveraging the nation’s resources to extend his own life while millions of citizens suffered from poverty, insecurity, and neglect. “He used Nigeria to prolong his own life while shortening the lives of millions,” he said emphatically.

His critique targeted not only the policies but also the broader narrative being constructed around Buhari’s legacy. According to Sowore, attempts to drape Buhari in robes of integrity and patriotism are misleading and unjust to the Nigerian people. “Buhari came to power on the wings of hope and left on the wings of despair,” he said. “His tenure was not marked by transformation, but by regression.”

Empathy, Sowore said, was the first casualty of Buhari’s time in office. The activist painted a bleak picture of a nation where aspirations were trampled, where merit was discarded, and where failure became institutionalized.

Addressing criticisms from those who believe public figures should be spared harsh assessments after death, Sowore dismissed such sentiments. He stated that truth-telling must transcend personal comfort and cultural politeness. “Are we to pretend that the man who supervised so much suffering deserves silence now that he is dead? That would be a greater injustice,” he argued. “History doesn’t stop when a person dies. Memory doesn’t take a break.”

To Sowore, accountability does not end at the grave. He believes that Nigerians, especially those who suffered directly under Buhari’s policies, have a right to a full and honest historical record. “We must stop canonising failed leaders simply because they are no longer here to defend themselves,” he said. “Buhari’s own record is enough indictment.”

The legacy of Buhari’s frequent medical trips abroad stood as a stark contradiction to his early campaign promises to revamp Nigeria’s failing healthcare system. Throughout his eight years in power, Buhari consistently sought treatment in the United Kingdom, often at great public expense and under a cloud of secrecy.

His first known medical visit came just nine months into his presidency, and over time these trips became a pattern. He spent over 230 days outside the country receiving medical care, including a particularly controversial 104-day stretch in 2017 that ignited concerns about his ability to govern. These absences often coincided with crises at home, including strikes by doctors and a collapsing public health system.

Critics, including leading medical professionals, condemned the optics and ethics of these travels. Dr. Osahon Enabulele, a former president of the World Medical Association, described the situation as a “national shame.” Many believed Buhari's reliance on overseas medical care symbolized a broader disdain for domestic institutions and reflected the leadership’s failure to invest in systems that could serve ordinary citizens.

The economic cost of these trips added insult to injury. Though exact figures remain elusive due to limited transparency, estimates suggest the Nigerian government spent between ₦1.1 billion and ₦5.4 billion maintaining the presidential jet alone for these trips. The cost of actual treatment, accommodation, and travel for aides was never made public.

Despite mounting criticism, Buhari remained largely unfazed. He defended his travels on the grounds of medical necessity and personal trust in his long-term doctors. Yet, for many Nigerians, his refusal to address or improve the health sector at home rendered those explanations hollow.

Sowore’s rebuke extends beyond one man. His message is a call to vigilance against the romanticization of failed leadership and an urgent plea for national memory to remain unfiltered. “Let Buhari’s story be a warning, not a model,” he concluded. “Now that he is gone, Nigeria must have the courage to tell the truth, if not for the dead, then for the living and the unborn.”

By confronting the past head-on, Sowore aims to ensure that the future does not repeat the mistakes of a presidency he describes as a dark chapter in Nigeria’s history.