Buhari’s Catastrophic Rule Now Appears Better than Tinubu’s Leadership, Laments Sowore

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing it as a “bigger disaster” than the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Sowore, who has long been a vocal critic of successive Nigerian governments, said the current administration has accelerated the country’s decline in nearly every sector, from the economy to security and infrastructure. Speaking in a recent political forum and through multiple media engagements, Sowore stated that while Buhari’s tenure was widely condemned as catastrophic, Tinubu’s leadership has inflicted deeper and more widespread damage on Nigerians within a much shorter time. According to Sowore, the economic policies under Tinubu have devastated the lives of millions, with the national currency collapsing from ₦460/$1 during Buhari’s final year to over ₦1,600/$1. He said the removal of fuel subsidies without adequate protections for vulnerable citizens has worsened poverty, inflation, and social instability. “They removed subsidies and told the poor to adjust while the elite are cashing in on bloated budgets and black market forex deals. This is not reform—it is robbery disguised as governance,” he said. Sowore also decried the growing insecurity across the country, noting that terrorist groups such as Boko Haram have expanded their operations beyond the northeast, reaching parts of Kogi, Niger, and even areas close to the Federal Capital Territory. He accused the government of ignoring these threats while investing time and resources in “media propaganda and failed mega-projects.” He cited the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway as an example of misplaced priorities, claiming that only 30 kilometers of the proposed 700-kilometer project have been constructed in two years. He described the initiative as a “media stunt” designed to enrich political cronies. “Instead of addressing the people’s needs through real infrastructure and services, they are pursuing projects that exist mostly in speeches and billboards,” Sowore stated. He warned that if the current trajectory continues, Nigeria risks further collapse, and he called on citizens, civil society groups, and labor unions to rise in resistance and demand better governance. According to him, Nigerians made a “grave mistake” electing Tinubu, and urgent action is needed to stop the country from sinking further. Sowore’s remarks come amid widespread discontent with the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, perceived lack of transparency, and growing insecurity. While both Tinubu and Buhari represent the All Progressives Congress, which has held power since 2015, Sowore argued that Tinubu’s policies have made Buhari’s controversial legacy appear less severe in comparison. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and to push back against what he called the continued betrayal of the people by the ruling elite.