Buhari’s Aide Reacts Angrily As Hausa Praise Singer Rarara Attacks Ex-President For ‘Destroying’ Nigeria

Dauda ‘Rarara’ Kahutu, widely known as a praise singer of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, has turned against his former hero, accusing him of destroying Nigeria’s economy and worsening the country’s security situation.

Rarara, who gained popularity by singing Buhari’s praises, sang numerous campaign songs for Buhari before the 2015 presidential election and continued to sing Buhari’s praises while he was in office even during the president’s second term.

His songs were repeatedly used at rallies and campaigns of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to promote Buhari and the party, especially in the northern region.

However, in a press conference held in Kano State on Thursday, Rarara slammed Buhari, accusing him of destroying Nigeria’s economy and worsening the country’s security situation.

Rarara also claimed that his contributions to Buhari’s government surpassed what the ex-president himself had contributed to his administration.

The Kano musician also suggested that he didn’t benefit from patronising Buhari when he held office.

THE WHISTLER reports that Rarara’s journey from being Buhari’s staunch supporter to a vocal critic will come as a shock to many, given his history of singing numerous campaign songs for Buhari in the lead-up to the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

The singer’s change of allegiance came about five months after Buhari left power. Before the ex-president’s exit, Rarara began singing similar praise songs for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate who succeeded Buhari after his second term ended on May 29, 2023.

Reacting, Bashir Ahmad, who served as Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media and later as the Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communications, responded angrily to Rarara’s allegations.

In a Facebook post written in Hausa, which has been translated into English, Ahmad expressed disappointment over the singer’s comments.

“The words that came out of the singer’s mouth made me think that it was a waste of time to give him an answer at an intellectual level because these words are against all kinds of senses and thoughts. If there is no sickness, then it is pure stupidity of ignorance. No wisdom in his words at all,” wrote Ahmad.

The ex-presidential aide also addressed specific claims made by Rarara, including the assertion that during Buhari’s tenure, the Abuja-Kaduna Road was plagued by insecurity.

Ahmad acknowledged that there were security challenges but attributed them to the broader issues in Northern Nigeria, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency.

He highlighted the government’s efforts to deploy security personnel to secure the route, emphasizing that it was necessary due to the security situation at the time.

“Rarara said that during the seven years of Buhari’s tenure, the road from Abuja to Kaduna could not be followed due to insecurity. In truth, I will not say that there were no security problems on the road, but I will ask him to remember this.

“When Baba Buhari took power, it was not even about kidnapping on the road, because of the problem that Boko Haram threw the north into. From Abuja to Kaduna, the government had to deploy more than ten security operatives on that road. I am not even talking from Kaduna to Kano, talk less of from Kano to Maiduguri. Anyone with sense will thank God for this,” the former president’s ex-aide stated.

In further response to Rarara’s claim about the songs he sang for Buhari and his expectations, Ahmad said the singer was always compensated for his services.

“In the end, the one thing that Rarara did not was that Baba Buhari never helped him in his life,” he concluded.

Below is one of Rarara’s hit songs praising Buhari: