Buhari was in a hurry as military ruler, but now slow and steady in governance – Tinubu

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has drawn a comparison between President Muhammadu Buhari’s time as a young military head of state and now that he is the president of the country.

He pointed out that while Buhari was in a hurry as a military ruler in the 80’s, the president has become “slow but steady” in his approach to governance “now that he is older and given his experience”.

Tinubu stated this on Monday during the launch of a book — ‘Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria’, written by John Paden, a professor of international studies — at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

While pointing out that Paden succinctly explained the transition from the Buhari in uniform to one in civilian garb, the former Lagos governor said; “he notes that in terms of style of leadership, Buhari as a young military head of state was in a hurry.

“However, now that he is older and given his experience, he is ‘slow but steady’ in his approach to governance.”

He went on to state that, “During the campaign, he (Buhari) surprised many by his agility and the broad canvas on which he operated.

“In tracing the evolution of Buhari, the national leader, the author’s assertion that military rule is based on the power its holders can wield, while civilian rule is based on the legitimacy derived from elections, is a point with which I dare not debate.

“Buhari’s career embodies this, hence his transition from being a military ruler to being a civilian leader, who subjected himself to the rigors and uncertainty of elections four times. Thrice he patiently went to court, seeking redress from electoral manipulation.

“The author, quite accurately, remarked on the Buhari victory equation, as flowing from Northern grassroots support and coalition-building with the South West as well as with other tendencies.”

Tinubu had recently denied a media report quoting him as saying that Buhari begged him to emerge president in 2015. The ex-governor asserted that the story was concocted by his political enemies.

#Tinubu