BMO Hits ‘Disgruntled’ Northern Elders Over Claim Nigerians Regret Replacing Jonathan With Buhari

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has hit back at the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) over its spokesperson’s recent criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, NEF’s Director of Publicity and Advocacy, had claimed that every Nigerian, including “diehard” supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), regret voting the president in 2015.

“Is there any Nigerian who is not disappointed in President Buhari including diehard APC people? Is there anybody who would not tell you he wished President Buhari had done much better?

“We raised huge expectations, we told people, ‘Get rid of Jonathan, put Buhari there, he would fix corruption, he would fix insecurity, he would fix the economy’ (but) look at where we are now,” Baba-Ahmed had said during an interview he granted to Arise TV on Tuesday.

But responding on Thursday, BMO described members of NEF as few “disgruntled” politicians whose views do not reflect those of the general North.

The group’s reaction is contained in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke.

It reads, “We need to let Nigerians know that the so-called Northern Elders Forum is a group of fewer than five people whose views on important national issues are not supported by the generality of northerners, and do not have any legitimacy. They are merely serving the interests of few disgruntled politicians.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we want to state that Baba-Ahmed is on a revenge mission because he was not appointed into the administration of President Buhari. It is also common knowledge that he is running errands for his former boss, Bukola Saraki, under whom, as president of the Senate, he served as the chief of staff.

“We are not surprised that after he fell out of favour with the administration of President Buhari, he has now resorted to making wild allegations against the Buhari administration, and has embarked on using the opposition media, such as Sahara Reporters, to make vitriolic remarks and comments against an administration that has turned things around for good in the country”.

According to BMO, the Buhari administration “has raised the bar in the fight against corruption, as well as become the nightmare of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

“Today, many of the bad guys are begging to surrender, and the reason is simple: the security agencies under the direction of Buhari are taking the war to their hideouts and enclaves.

“We also want to remind the NEF that the country’s economy has rebounded with the various measures already put in place to diversify. Recently the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which was previously infamous for slease and waste, declared profit, and this is unprecedented in the history of the corporation.

“In fact, a lot is happening across the country and only a blind organisation like NEF has chosen to be myopic to the positive developments in the country,” it added.