As tributes continue to pour in following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, a former Director of Public Affairs at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, has appealed for public forgiveness, insisting that the late president was a victim of sabotage from within his own administration.
In a statement issued on Monday, Dr. Jimoh, now an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Abuja, described Buhari as “a pious, honest, patriotic and nationalistic statesman” whose good intentions were hijacked by powerful cabals and members of his kitchen cabinet.
“President Buhari had the best of plans to rescue Nigeria from economic doldrums, insecurity, and mass poverty. But the same people he trusted with power… betrayed that trust,” Jimoh said.
He argued that while Buhari bore ultimate responsibility for the administration’s performance, the true blame lies with what he called “bad eggs within the system”, asserting that “every government has its share of kitchen cabinet and oligarchic influencers.”
To support his claims, Jimoh cited a private discussion in 2018 with former First Lady Dr. Aisha Buhari, where she reportedly expressed dismay over the conduct of certain top government officials and governors, despite her husband’s vision for the country.
“She vowed to keep pushing for the Nigeria her husband envisioned,” he added.
Jimoh urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to learn from Buhari’s experience by closely monitoring his own kitchen cabinet to ensure the Renewed Hope Agenda is not derailed.
“This is a lesson for President Tinubu. He must ensure his kitchen cabinet does not derail the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Jimoh warned.
He ended the statement with a plea for national forgiveness, invoking the teachings of both the Quran and the Bible, stressing that now is the time to move forward.
“Given the Buhari family’s plea and the late president’s intentions, it is only humane that we forgive and move forward.”
Former President Muhammadu Buhari passed away earlier this month following a prolonged illness. His burial drew dignitaries from across Nigeria and reignited national debate over his divisive legacy.
