Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan Combined Can’t Match One-Third Of Buhari’s Infrastructural Achievements —Ex-Presidential Aide, Bashir Ahmed
He was responding to a tweet from an X handle supporting the PDP, which shared a photo of Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan with the caption, “The last time Nigeria was in good hands.”
Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has stirred controversy with his claims that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari outperformed former Nigerian leaders Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan in infrastructural development.
Ahmad, a staunch ally of Buhari, took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to hail Buhari’s achievements while slamming the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allegedly squandering Nigeria’s oil wealth during its 16-year rule.
He was responding to a tweet from an X handle supporting the PDP, which shared a photo of Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan with the caption, “The last time Nigeria was in good hands.”
“Hilarious! In terms of infrastructure, these three presidents combined (referring to Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan) can’t boast even a third of what President Buhari achieved in his eight years. That is not even an opinion, that is a fact,” Ahmad wrote.
He continued: “It is on record that, despite being in power for 16 years with three different presidents, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed to deliver a single legacy project as beneficial as the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway, one of the numerous infrastructure achievements of former President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Hilarious! In terms of infrastructure, these three presidents combined can’t boast even a third of what President Buhari achieved in his 8 years. That is not even an opinion, that is a fact. https://t.co/dqsYEN0lLC
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) February 26, 2025
Ahmad argued that despite governing during two oil boom periods, the PDP-led administrations failed to invest in infrastructure. “This is even more disgraceful considering that PDP governed during two major oil booms, periods that can be regarded as the best in Nigeria’s history in terms of revenue generation. “From 1999 to 2008, global oil demand surged due to geopolitical tensions and limited supply, pushing crude oil prices to over $140 per barrel. “At the same time, Nigeria was producing over 2.5 million barrels of crude daily, the highest in our history. This was the golden era for oil-producing countries. Countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc., invested heavily in transformative infrastructure and built sovereign wealth funds to secure their futures. Meanwhile, Nigeria, under PDP, built nothing and saved nothing.” Ahmad further claimed that despite another oil boom between 2010 and 2014, Jonathan’s administration failed to use the windfall to develop the country. He said, “Another oil boom occurred between 2010 and 2014 when oil prices rebounded, averaging over $100 per barrel. Yet again, despite having unprecedented resources, PDP governments failed to translate wealth into tangible infrastructure that Nigerians can point to today. The only achievement they can boast of from that period is economic growth figures on paper, numbers that mean little to the average Nigerian struggling with poor roads, an unreliable power supply, and decaying public services. “In contrast, President Buhari, despite facing a more challenging economic environment and earning far less in oil revenue, delivered numerous legacy projects that can be pointed at today.”
It is on record that, despite being in power for 16 years with three different presidents, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed to deliver a single legacy project as beneficial as the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway, one of the numerous infrastructure achievements of… pic.twitter.com/IV67P1muoQ — Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) February 26, 2025
However, Ahmad’s claims come at a time when Nigerians are still grappling with the economic crisis left behind by the Buhari administration.
Under Buhari’s watch, Nigeria’s external debt ballooned from $10.3 billion in 2015 to over $40 billion in 2023, with significant loans from China and other international lenders.
The naira also suffered severe devaluation, plunging from about ₦197/$1 in 2015 to over ₦750/$1 by the time Buhari left office.
Buhari’s tenure also witnessed some of the worst insecurity crises in Nigeria’s history, with Boko Haram, banditry, and kidnappings becoming rampant across the country.
Thousands of Nigerians were displaced due to violent attacks, while major roads, especially in the North, became death traps for travellers due to the activities of terrorists and kidnappers.
The economic downturn deepened as inflation skyrocketed, leaving millions of Nigerians struggling with poverty. The Buhari administration was also criticized for mismanaging funds, with many of its projects marred by corruption allegations and delays.
Despite Ahmad’s claims, several Nigerians believe that Buhari’s so-called infrastructural achievements came at the cost of unprecedented borrowing and economic hardship.
Ahmad concluded his X post by advising the PDP to stay away from governance.
“PDP should just stay away from governance and spend its remaining years seeking forgiveness from Nigeria. They had everything: power, opportunity, and resources, but they squandered it all,” he added.
“Had they achieved even one-third of what President Buhari accomplished in his eight years, Nigeria’s story would be completely different today.”
Ahmad’s comments have since sparked heated debates on social media, with many Nigerians rejecting his claims and pointing to the economic hardship and rising insecurity that defined Buhari’s administration.
Others have accused the former presidential aide of attempting to rewrite history to whitewash Buhari’s failures.
An X user, Enejere Michael wrote: “Obj brought what you used to write and post this here (Phone and Network). Tell me one thing Buhari has brought for the benefit of Nigerians? Just 1 thing.”
“Leadership is beyond building some islands of infrastructure with Chinese loans. None of these was printing money to pay salaries like Robert Mugabe. OBJ built NIPP, you never matched that. Umaru died immediately after rolling out,” another user, Yakubu Musa added.
