By Andrew Haruna | Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu and his administration of using the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari as a political tool to gain public sympathy and revive dwindling support.
In a statement released Friday by Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, the ADC described the Federal Executive Council (FEC) tribute to Buhari as “a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt by an unpopular government.”
President Tinubu, during a special FEC session on Thursday at the State House in Abuja, had paid glowing tribute to the late former President, calling him “a good, decent, and honourable man” who served Nigeria with discipline and integrity. The session was attended by members of Buhari’s family, National Assembly leaders, and other top officials.
But the ADC was not impressed. The party argued that the same administration that had consistently blamed Buhari for the country’s economic difficulties had no moral ground to now celebrate him publicly.
“This is the same government that spent over a year distancing itself from Buhari’s policies—fuel subsidy, the economy, and public service reforms. Now they are draping themselves in his legacy to score cheap political points, particularly in the North,” the ADC said.
The party did not mince words in condemning the inclusion of Buhari’s son, Yusuf, in the FEC session, calling it a “shameful exploitation” of a grieving family’s loss.
“What kind of government uses a mourning son to clean up its public image?” the party asked. “This wasn’t a show of genuine grief; it was theatre, complete with cameras, scripts, and spin.”
The ADC reiterated that since assuming office, Tinubu’s administration had painted Buhari as the architect of Nigeria’s woes—accusing him of economic mismanagement and fiscal recklessness.
“For months, they sold Nigerians the narrative that Buhari was the problem and Tinubu was the solution,” the statement continued. “Now that the political winds have shifted, they want to rewrite history.”
The ADC warned that the FEC tribute was just the beginning of a wider campaign to use Buhari’s death to regain political ground, insisting that Nigerians are wise to the ploy.
“No amount of PR or stage-managed mourning can fix a government that, for nearly two years, has ruled more like an occupying force than a leadership committed to the people’s welfare,” the party said.
The opposition party urged Nigerians to reject what it called “insincere displays of grief” and focus on holding the government accountable for its performance.
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