Garba Shehu Admits Buhari’s Leadership Was Slow, Defends Ex-President’s Democratic Approach

Former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has admitted that Buhari’s leadership style was slow but insisted it was a result of his commitment to democratic principles.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News Tuesday night, Shehu said the former president deliberately chose to abandon the impulsive tendencies of his military past and embrace due process, even when the public clamoured for swift action.

“Was he slow? Yeah, he himself had joked about all of that,” Shehu said. “When he came in as a military head of state, he was brash, did things on impulse, and ordered people to be locked up. But as a converted democrat, he needed to follow due processes that the law says he should follow.”

Shehu argued that Buhari’s refusal to circumvent democratic procedures, despite public pressure, was evidence of his commitment to the rule of law. “Nigerians are very impatient. We want to rush through things. But he says, ‘No. The democratic process sets the rules. And I must not go against them,’” he added.

Responding to long-standing claims that Buhari was unaware of events unfolding under his administration, Shehu strongly disagreed, describing the former president as possibly “the most aware” leader Nigeria has ever had.

“This thing about Buhari being unaware is totally misplaced. If you permit me, I would say that he perhaps would pass as the most aware president Nigeria has ever had,” Shehu said, adding that Buhari preferred results over publicity.

Buhari, who served two terms between 2015 and 2023 under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president in Nigeria. However, his tenure was marked by controversial economic policies and widespread criticism, with many Nigerians blaming his administration for the country’s current economic hardship.