The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of using the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari as a publicity stunt.
According to the opposition party, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) tribute held in Abuja was more of a political performance than a genuine show of respect.
The ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this known in a strongly worded statement on Friday.
He stated that the government’s attempt to honor Buhari was filled with “hypocrisy” and aimed at distracting the public from the country’s current economic struggles.
“The Tinubu administration’s sudden and cynical attempt to wrap itself in the memory of the late President Muhammadu Buhari a man this same government spent over a year blaming, sidelining, and scapegoating is hypocritical and in bad taste,” the ADC said.
This accusation comes just a day after President Tinubu led a special session of the FEC to pay tribute to Buhari.
During the event, Tinubu described the former president as “a good, decent, and honourable man,” and praised his values of “integrity, patriotism, and discipline.”
However, the ADC claimed this praise directly contradicts previous actions by the Tinubu administration.
“This government previously disowned Buhari’s stance on fuel subsidy, economic direction, and public sector reforms,” Abdullahi pointed out.
“Yet now, they are attempting to cloak themselves in the very legacy they once condemned.”
The party believes that the tribute was not just a farewell, but a strategic public relations attempt targeted especially at Buhari’s support base in Northern Nigeria.
In addition, the ADC criticised the presence of Buhari’s son, Yusuf Buhari, at the meeting.
They described it as a move “to exploit a
grieving family for optics,” adding, “What kind of leadership exploits a mourning son just days after his father’s burial for political gain?”
Furthermore, the party reminded the public of its earlier warning to the Buhari family.
The ADC had previously predicted that the government might use Buhari’s death to score political points.
“That tribute, complete with a publicised appearance by the late President’s son, was not about honourit was a stage-managed attempt to distract Nigerians from rising hardship and rewrite history in the government’s favour,” it said.
In recent months, economic hardship and inflation have dominated national conversations.
Still, the current government has remained defensive. The tribute to Buhari, however, seemed to mark a surprising turn.
“Now, with the same breath, they want to be seen as custodians of his legacy. This contradiction exposes their true intentions,” the ADC added.
The ADC concluded by urging Nigerians not to fall for what it called “photo ops and stage-managed grief.”
According to the party, “No public relations stunt can save a government that has behaved in the last two years like an army of occupation.”
