Don't use Buhari's performance to judge Tinubu - Group

A group, under the aegis of Nigeria Intellectuals for Tinubu/Shettima, has said it's inappropriate to link the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to the perceived failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

What happened: This is coming amidst doubts over the ability of the APC candidate to deliver good governance given the performance of the current administration which he (Tinubu) was instrumental in its emergence.

This sentiment was re-echoed by the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), which declared that Nigeria had become worse since Buhari took over.

Speaking to The Punch in an interview, the President of the MBF, Bitrus Porgu, said the Buhari-led Federal Government had failed to fulfill the mandate it came to power with.

Porgu's word: “In every consideration – economy, security, health, education – things are worse than they ever have been. He is ill-informed of the happenings in Nigeria.”

Group disagrees: Reacting to Porgu's verdict, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Nigeria Intellectuals for Tinubu/Shettima, Emmanuel Omuwo, said it's unfair to term the current administration as a failure.

Omuwo added that Tinubu was not a part of the current government and should not be held responsible for whatever the administration may have done.

Omuwo's word: “Tinubu was in the government in 2007. He is not part of this administration. All he had to do was work towards the success of Buhari’s campaign. It shows he is a game changer on his own.

"Tinubu has the solution. He has been preparing all his life for the presidency. However, you cannot use Buhari’s performance to judge the person of Bola Tinubu.”