- Atiku laments challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that his family now relies on the income from renting out one of his two houses in Kaduna State, emphasizing that “I did not corruptly enrich myself as president.”
Buhari made this claim while addressing a gathering of the All Progressives Congress caucus in Katsina State on Sunday, ahead of the state’s local council election scheduled for February 15.
The former president said this at the Presidential Banquet Hall in Katsina State’s Government House, while highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in public office.
He asserted that he left office without any illegally acquired wealth, noting that Nigeria is a difficult country to govern due to its complexities.
Speaking in Hausa language, the former president argued that the majority of Nigerians were unaware of the administrative challenges involved in governing the country, but simply blamed leaders.
“Nigeria is a difficult country to govern, but most Nigerians are unaware. Until you find yourself in the administrative position of the country, if not, you will not understand the complexities.
“I look much better and healthier now than when I was the president of the country. Anybody that sees me now acknowledges that I look better than before,” Buhari said.
He added, “After my eight years as a civil president, I have only three houses; one in Daura and two in Kaduna. I have given one out for rent where I get money for feeding.”
In 2015, as Nigerian president, Buhari declared his assets, saying he had five houses and two mud houses.
A statement by aide, Garba Shehu, said that prior to being sworn in on May 29, 2015, President Buhari had the following: “N30 million to his name. He also had only one bank account, with the Union Bank, five homes, and two mud houses in Daura; two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt; own farms, an orchard and a ranch.
“The total number of his holdings in the farm includes 270 heads of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a variety of birds and a number of economic trees.
“Uses a number of cars, two of which he bought from his savings and the others supplied to him by the Federal Government in his capacity as former Head of State. The rest were donated to him by well-wishers after his jeep was damaged in a Boko Haram bomb attack on his convoy in July 2014.”
Shehu said Buhari “had shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank.”
In his asset declaration form to the Code of Conduct Bureau in 2019, after winning election for a second term in office, claimed not to own new property than the assets he declared in 2015 when he began his first term.
Atiku laments challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy
Meanwhile, the 2023 presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said politicians should be made to lose their seats for defecting to other political parties.
Atiku made the recommendation as part of necessary reforms to protect democracy.
The former vice president, who spoke on Monday at the National Conference on Strengthening Democracy, lamented the challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy.
He warned that democracy is at risk of decline due to weak institutions, state capture, and judicial recklessness.
This was as he called for comprehensive reforms in five key areas, one of which is the strengthening of political parties.
He also called for normative compliance, saying it would ensure that party members, especially leaders, adhere to party rules and laws to uphold democratic integrity.
On accountability, he recommended the enforcement of strict penalties for electoral fraud with a requirement that politicians who defect vacate their seats.
Atiku said democracy could be strengthened through coalition-building, adding that such will encourage opposition parties to unite through coalitions or mergers to effectively challenge entrenched power.
Lastly, Atiku called for judicial reform, saying judicial partisanship should be addressed to ensure that courts uphold voter choice rather than undermining democracy.
He emphasised that the reforms are essential to restore public trust and secure Nigeria’s future.
