The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of manipulating the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari for a political publicity stunt.
In a statement on Friday, Interim National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi slammed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) tribute to Buhari as “a deliberate publicity stunt by an unpopular administration.”
Earlier, Tinubu had led a special FEC session at the State House in Abuja, offering warm tributes to Buhari, whom he described as “a good, decent, and honourable man” whose values of discipline, patriotism, and integrity would be remembered.
While acknowledging Buhari’s flaws, the president praised his “steadfast dedication to national service.”
The ADC, however, criticized the tribute as insincere, noting that Tinubu’s administration had spent over a year blaming Buhari for the nation’s economic challenges before pivoting to public mourning.
The party charged that the government had “distanced itself from Buhari’s policies, especially on fuel subsidy, the economy, and public sector management, only to now attempt to cloak itself in the very legacy it once denounced.”
In the statement, the ADC asserted:
“The African Democratic Congress condemns the Tinubu administration’s sudden and cynical attempt to wrap itself in the memory of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, a man this same government spent over a year blaming, sidelining, and scapegoating for every major challenge confronting the nation.”
They further described the tribute as “a choreographed Federal Executive Council (FEC) tribute … not a demonstration of genuine respect.
“It was a calculated public relations stunt by an unpopular government, carefully stage‑managed to distract Nigerians from the administration’s deepening failures and to rewrite history while the nation mourns.”
The ADC also criticized the inclusion of Yusuf Buhari, the former president’s son, in the FEC ritual:
“The unfolding stage‑managed displays of grief and the exploitation of a mourning son who was compelled to perform gratitude in front of the cameras is unconscionable and must be condemned by all decent people.”
Questioning the ethics of the timing, they countered:
“Nigerians remember that since taking office, the Tinubu administration … have blamed Buhari for everything … But now that it suits their political agenda, they seek to recast themselves as defenders of the late President’s legacy, pretending to give him in death, the honour they denied him while he was alive.”
Despite the ADC’s condemnation, they expressed confidence in Nigerians’ discernment:
“Nevertheless, we are confident that Nigerians can see through their grand deceit. No public relations stunt can save a government that has behaved in the last two years like an army of occupation.”
