A long-time critic of former president Goodluck Jonathan, Buba Galadima, has publicly admitted that his harsh judgment of the ex-leader no longer stands in the face of Nigeria’s present security troubles.
The member of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) said the country’s worsening insecurity has left him feeling personally humbled, confessing that Jonathan now appears in a far better light than the administrations that followed.
“I was one of the greatest critics of Jonathan’s presidency. I didn’t know God would disgrace me to show me that Jonathan was even a saint and a better administrator than those that followed him,” he said.
Galadima made the remarks on Monday during a televised appearance on Arise News. He praised Jonathan’s decision in 2015 to move the elections by six weeks and deploy foreign mercenaries to combat insurgents in the North East. According to him, the security gains achieved during that period were significant.
“He postponed the election for six weeks, brought mercenaries, and within six weeks those mercenaries stabilised Nigeria. There was no polling booth where elections did not take place,” he said.
He argued that bringing in mercenaries today would still be cheaper and more effective than the current spending on the military, insisting that the strategy used under Jonathan produced clearer results.
From that reflection, Galadima launched a sweeping criticism of the current government, accusing it of abandoning core responsibilities while insecurity deepens across the country.
“For me, the government has abdicated its primary responsibility of protecting lives and properties of citizens and has given 99 percent of its time to politicking,” he said.
He described governance as a full-time commitment that requires sacrifice, saying leaders should spend nearly all their waking hours confronting national problems instead of pursuing political advantage.
“You shouldn’t have more than six hours for leisure. The remaining must be hands on the wheels. But that is what we are not seeing,” he added.
Galadima accused the APC-led administration of prioritising political dominance, focusing more on receiving defectors and weakening opposing parties than securing the country. He warned that undermining opposition structures endangers democracy itself.
“It is not in their interest to destroy opposition because without opposition there is no democracy. And if there is no democracy, it means we are sliding to fascism, dictatorship of the Mussolini type. And this is exactly where they are taking us,” he said.
He also criticised what he called outdated and intelligence-poor security responses. According to him, authorities have relied too heavily on brute force instead of technology and strategic thinking.
“They have tried this gara gara as I call it. It did not work. It is now time to use their intellect, use technology, and protect our citizens,” he said.
To illustrate what he believes is possible, Galadima recalled an experience in China where CCTV and tracking systems helped authorities recover his stolen bag within hours across two airports. He contrasted that with Nigeria’s slow and reactive security architecture.
“We are not serious. We are only interested in power to make money or to show you that I have arrived,” he said.
Galadima alleged that security operatives ignored clear intelligence before the recent attack on a school in Niger State, pointing out that the movements of the armed group were tracked “verbatim” but no preventive action was taken.
He condemned soldiers who reportedly abandoned their duty post during the attack, stating, “Why did they leave the place? They should be court-martialled and be shot.”
He described the growing trend of shutting down schools in northern states because of insecurity as “shameful,” insisting that authorities should secure learning environments rather than allow fear to dictate policy.
Galadima warned that terrorists now possess advanced technology, including drones and real-time surveillance tools. He referenced an ISWAP commander who he claimed once boasted about having full imagery of the Sambisa Forest.
He further cautioned President Bola Tinubu against yielding to pressure from United States president Donald Trump, urging him instead to listen to sincere advisers who understand Nigeria’s realities.
Despite his strong views, Galadima added that he has no interest in public office, saying he is “neither electable nor appointable” because leadership demands long work hours that he is not prepared to give.
