ADC accuses Tinubu of using Buhari’s death as political tool to boost image.
The party says FEC tribute was a publicity stunt, calling it hypocritical and exploitative of Buhari’s legacy.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu and his administration of turning the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari into a political campaign tool aimed at redeeming its faltering public image.
In a strongly worded statement released on Friday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party criticized the special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held in Buhari’s honor, describing it as a “deliberate publicity stunt by an unpopular administration.”
During the tribute on Thursday at the State House in Abuja, President Tinubu praised the late Buhari as “a good, decent, and honorable man,” whose values discipline, patriotism, and integrity would be remembered for generations. The event, attended by Buhari’s family members and top government officials, saw Tinubu acknowledge Buhari’s imperfections while commending his commitment to national service.
However, the ADC dismissed the ceremony as insincere, accusing the same government of previously blaming Buhari for Nigeria’s economic woes and distancing itself from many of his policies. “The Tinubu administration spent over a year scapegoating Buhari for every major challenge the country faced. Now they want to claim his legacy and pay tribute for political convenience,” the statement read.
The party further condemned the inclusion of Buhari’s son, Yusuf, in the publicized tribute session, calling it exploitative and in poor taste. “It is deeply troubling to see a mourning son turned into a prop in a political show,” the ADC said. “This is not respect it is manipulation.”
The opposition party alleged that the FEC tribute was a calculated move to curry favor in northern Nigeria and among Buhari loyalists, especially as public dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s leadership continues to grow.
“The same administration that rejected Buhari’s economic model, removed fuel subsidies without preparation, and claimed to have inherited a broken system is now pretending to honor him in death,” the ADC stated. “This act reeks of hypocrisy and a desperate bid to rebrand a presidency struggling with legitimacy and popularity.”
The party recalled that earlier in the week, it had warned Buhari’s family to be wary of government attempts to use his passing for political gain. The tribute, the ADC said, was just the beginning of “a larger propaganda plan.”
It concluded that no amount of stage-managed displays or emotional tributes can fix the deep-rooted failures of the Tinubu-led government. “The public relations campaign will not work. Nigerians can see through the deception,” the statement concluded. “This administration, in the past two years, has governed more like an occupying force than a representative leadership. Their latest stunt will not change that perception.”
