'This president doesn’t care' — Buratai’s ex-aide slams Tinubu over insecurity, governance failures

Dr. Mohammed Sani, a renowned security analyst and public affairs commentator, has issued a scathing assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, warning that Nigeria risks returning to the darkest days of insurgency if urgent steps are not taken to reform security and governance structures.

In an exclusive interview with Pulse Nigeria, Dr. Sani, who once served as a senior special advisor to former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, highlighted the escalating threats posed by Boko Haram and other non-state actors.

He noted that the terrorists have upgraded their capabilities with military-grade drones and are financially buoyed by ransom payments, while geopolitical shifts—such as Niger Republic's exit from ECOWAS and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF)—have further weakened regional counterterrorism efforts.

"The government must take these threats seriously. We must repair our fractured diplomatic ties with Niger and Chad, increase our troop presence in the Northeast, and expand the armed forces to at least 800,000 personnel," he said.

Dr. Sani emphasised that military action alone is insufficient without addressing the systemic governance failures that continue to fuel extremism.

He lamented the widespread lack of accountability, justice, and inclusion across Nigerian state governments, asserting that bad governance pushes citizens to view insurgents as liberators.

"The masses see government as a hub of misgovernance and corruption. If this persists, people will continue to sympathise with insurgents,” he warned.

Does Tinubu care about Nigerians?

On recent criticism directed at President Tinubu for not cutting short his foreign trip during a spate of violent attacks in Plateau and Benue, Dr. Sani remarked that while the President may rely on his security chiefs, his absence during a national crisis sent the wrong message.

"This President doesn't really care. The people feel let down. A responsible leader would have returned immediately to visit the affected communities," he said.

Dr. Sani also took aim at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing him as the worst since the return of democracy in 1999.

He criticised Akpabio's decision to attend the Pope’s funeral in Rome while Nigerians were being killed at home, calling it “a disgrace to the office.”

He further decried the wave of high-profile defections from opposition parties to the ruling APC, calling the trend undemocratic and self-serving.

“Our politicians are businessmen disguised as leaders. These defections are not about ideology or national interest; they’re about personal ambition,” he asserted.

When asked if Nigerians can still hope for change under the current government, Dr. Sani expressed deep pessimism.

"I don't see any hope under this administration. Power generation is still abysmal despite huge spending, inflation is out of control, and insecurity is worsening by the day,” he said, concluding with a grim yet hopeful note: “Nigerians may have given up on Tinubu, but they must not give up on Nigeria.”