Nigerians Angry With Buhari

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been severely criticized for disowning promises of Muhammadu Buhari within his first 100 days as president of Nigeria.

Nigerians took to social media to express dissatisfaction of the party and presidency’s explanations.

The protest on Twitter was titled, #100dayspromise and was focused at the ruling party and the presidency for being dishonest with Nigerians during the presidential campaign.

It should be noted that Garba Shehu, presidential media aide, dissociated Buhari from the many promises that were made during the electioneering.
Shehu, who was the director of media of the APC presidential campaign organisation, rejected the authenticity of a document titled, “My Covenant with Nigerians”, which was supposedly signed by Buhari and posted on the APC’s website in March.

Meanwhile, Kayode Ogundamisi, a social commentator, said on his official Twitter account that it was insincere of the ruling party, having allowed the said documents detailing.

He said: “The APC and President Buhari are telling us that they never saw the ‘100-day promise’ document; failing the integrity test so soon?
“Prof Yemi Osinbajo mentioned free meals as contained in the 100-day document during his US tour; is he also a loose organ?”
Read more reactions below:

Apart from the social media, some legislators who spoke with The PUNCH said Buhari needed to fulfil promises made during campaigning.

Festus Keyamo, a Lagos lawyer, said: “If those promises were made in the course of the presidential campaign and they were made by the party for Buhari as the presidential candidate, then it is only proper that the President should deliver on those promises and Nigerians should hold him accountable regarding those promises.

“But then, I can vouch for President Buhari. I travelled with him and I was with him at Chatham House when he was asked a question on what he would do in the first 100 days; and Buhari’s reply was very simple. He said, ‘I consider all of these promises about my 100 days in office fraudulent. I am not going to commit myself to any 100 days promises.’
“That was what he said at the Chatham House in London.
“But if the party made any promises regarding 100 days, perhaps the President should have corrected them at that time.”
Adetokunbo Mumuni, the executive director of the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project, also said the APC was like Buhari’s principal and the president was bound by the promises made by the party.

“The party is more or less like the President’s principal and so it would not be out of place for Nigerians to hold the President accountable for the promises made by his political party, especially the promises made on the campaign train,” he said.
Wahab Shittu, another Lagos-based lawyer, added: “All the promises that the President made are anchored on a very clear agenda. He made promises on security, corruption, economy and infrastructure; those are clear promises based on his agenda and they are the template on which he would be assessed.
“Buhari contested on the platform of the APC and on the strength of that, he is obliged to implement the manifesto of the APC and the promises made to Nigerians. The promises he made as a presidential candidate are anchored on the manifesto of the party.”