African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of exploiting the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari for political gain.
Gatekeepers News reports that Bolaji Abdullahi, the interim national publicity secretary of the ADC criticised Tinubu’s administration in a statement on Friday.
Abdullahi described the special Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Buhari’s honour as a ”political theatre’ rather than a sincere tribute.
The PDP spokesman labelled the event a “calculated PR stunt” aimed at boosting the government’s image amid widespread public dissatisfaction.
Abdullahi argued that Buhari’s son, Yusuf, appeared to have been pressured into displaying public gratitude during the ceremony.
He accused the administration of hypocrisy, saying it had spent much of its tenure distancing itself from Buhari’s policies, only to now try to reclaim his legacy for political survival.
The spokesman questioned the motive behind the tribute, saying it appeared less about honouring the late president and more about manipulating public sentiment.
Abdullahi warned that the FEC event may be part of a broader political strategy aimed at leveraging Buhari’s death to regain support, particularly in the northern region and among Buhari loyalists. He claimed the ADC had earlier alerted the late president’s family to such plans.
The statement reads, “This administration has consistently distanced itself from Buhari’s policies, especially on subsidy removal, the economy, and public sector governance.”
“Now, it seeks to align with the very legacy it spent months tearing down.”
“Nigerians must ask, what kind of government uses the private pain of a bereaved family to varnish its own public image?”
“The choreographed tribute at FEC was not a demonstration of genuine respect. It was a calculated public relations stunt by an unpopular government, carefully stage-managed to distract Nigerians from its deepening failures.”
“You cannot spend months discrediting a man’s legacy only to turn around and perform grief for the cameras.”
“Earlier this week, we warned the late president’s family of this plan.”
“What we witnessed at FEC was only the beginning. The exploitation of a mourning son, compelled to perform gratitude before the cameras, is unconscionable and must be condemned by all decent people.”
“Grief is not a campaign strategy. Let the family mourn their father in peace.”
Abdullahi said no amount of public relations spin would salvage what “ a government that has behaved, in the last two years, like an army of occupation.”
