Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has launched a stinging critique of Nigeria’s former and current leaders, accusing the late President Muhammadu Buhari of leaving behind a legacy of failure, repression, and economic hardship.
In a strongly worded post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Effiong said Buhari “was a tragic mistake of history,” adding that his administration failed to carry out meaningful reforms or uphold democratic values.
“Buhari banned X (Twitter) because of his fragile ego,” Effiong wrote. “He refused to transmit power to his Vice as constitutionally required despite not being in good health or in the country for months.”
Effiong also referenced the controversial 2020 #EndSARS protest and the alleged killings at the Lekki Toll Gate, which many human rights groups have described as a massacre.
“I don’t even want to talk about the Lekki Toll Gate massacre,” he said.
The lawyer further condemned Buhari’s handling of the economy and alleged complicity in tolerating corrupt elements within his administration.
“He made nonsense of the economy and allowed criminals to operate freely in his cabinet,” Effiong stated.
Reflecting on the 2023 general elections, he accused the late president of overseeing a flawed electoral process.
“After destroying the country, he supervised a fraudulent election that brought a terrible successor who has continued from where he stopped in their Nigeria destruction agenda.”
Effiong questioned what legacy Buhari left behind.
“Which institution did he reform? Even electoral reforms he couldn’t leave behind,” he wrote.
Turning his attention to President Bola Tinubu, Effiong criticised the president’s frequent foreign medical trips, drawing parallels with past leaders.
“Tinubu goes to France and other undisclosed foreign countries for his regular medical treatment. General Abdulsalami Abubakar is sick and reportedly hospitalized in London. The late General Buhari frequently visited London during his lifetime and also died in London.”
He lamented that despite Tinubu’s administration being two years old, there has been no visible effort to fix Nigeria’s health sector.
“Two years gone, I am not aware that President Tinubu is revamping our health sector or building a single hospital that meets global standard where himself and other political figures can be treated in Nigeria.”
Effiong concluded with a broader criticism of Nigeria’s political class, accusing them of lacking patriotism.
“Nearly every politically exposed person in Nigeria goes abroad for medical care. When I see the hatred that these people have for our country and countrymen, I get speechless. The disdain that they have for Nigeria and Nigerians is palpable.”
His remarks have since sparked reactions across social media, with many Nigerians echoing similar frustrations about governance, healthcare, and leadership accountability.
