Solomon Dalung, former minister for Youth and Sports, says the late Muhammadu Buhari recorded more tangible achievements in tackling insecurity than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Friday, the former minister said both leaders came into office with high expectations from Nigerians, but argued that Buhari achieved significant gains against insurgency during his early years in office.
“President Tinubu cannot be compared with late President Muhammadu Buhari,” Dalung said.
“Even though two of them raised the expectation of Nigerians with their ambition.”
The former minister acknowledged shortcomings in Buhari’s administration but maintained that the former president made notable progress in reclaiming territories occupied by insurgents.
“But I think Buhari, despite the failure of our government under Buhari to deal with certain things, Buhari accomplished so many things that this government in three years have not indicated that they are yet to begin,” he said.
Dalung recalled that several local government areas in the north-east were under the control of Boko Haram when Buhari assumed office in 2015.
“Buhari, when he came into office, there were about 24 local governments under the firm control of Boko Haram in the north-east,” he said.
“And those local governments were reclaimed under the leadership of late President Muhammadu Buhari. That is a milestone in dealing with insecurity.”
The former minister, however, admitted that the security situation deteriorated during Buhari’s second term in office.
“Even though things later degenerated in the second term, that remains the reason for which this government keeps arguing,” he said.
