•Late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari
Former President Muhammadu Buhari may be gone, but he left behind several profound and controversial quotes that will not be forgotten for generations to come.
Like him or hate him, he lived a fulfilled life, dying at the age of 82, with a wife, children and grandchildren to survive him, reports The Guardian.
While his infrastructural legacies may be eroded, his words will always remain, serving as a source of wisdom to the wise and a source of foolishness to fools.
Here are seven controversial quotes he delivered before and while he was President:
1. I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody
In his inaugural speech as President, delivered at Eagle Square in Abuja in 2015, Buhari expressed his commitment to serving the people without external influence. The quote many Nigerians won’t ever forget from the speech is “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”.
The statement left many wondering what Buhari meant. Some believed it was a message intended for those who had invested resources to ensure he became president, despite his previous failures on three occasions. When the presidency failed to explain the meaning, citizens were left with no choice but to expect answers as his administration unfolded.
2. Lazy Youths
Many Nigerian youths were angered when the president regarded them as lazy people who want the benefits of a good country without doing anything meaningful. Buhari made the statement while fielding questions after a keynote speech at a Commonwealth event in London, six years ago.
He said, “We have a very young population. More than 60 per cent of the population is below the age of 30. A lot of them haven’t been to school, and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil-producing country; therefore, they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare, and education free.”
Expressing outrage, youths took to social media with the hashtags #LazyNigerianYouths and #LazyYouths, while highlighting the great exploits of young Nigerians amid a lack of basic amenities and a poor educational system, which they blamed on politicians and leaders.
3. Dot in a circle
During the height of agitations by a separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Buhari expressed his displeasure at their actions towards breaking off the Southeast region of Nigeria to re-establish the defunct Republic of Biafra.
In an interview with Arise TV, Buhari described the agitators as a dot in a circle who will have no access to anywhere if they achieve their goal.
He said, “That IPOB is just like a dot in a circle. Even if they want to exit, they will have no access to anywhere.
“And the way they are spread all over the country, having businesses and properties, I don’t think IPOB knows what they are talking about.”
He further vowed to organise the police and the military to pursue the agitators, succeeding by ensuring that their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was arrested and tried in court.
4. Language that they understand
A few years after his TV interview warning IPOB agitators, Buhari issued a post on Twitter, now known as X, to send a strong message to those still troubling Nigeria’s unity.
He said, “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
His post angered many who were sympathetic to the Biafran agitation, prompting them to report his account to Twitter, which eventually led to the post being deleted by the social media platform. The action by Twitter led to a series of events that resulted in its ban in Nigeria for months.
5. Osibande
During campaigns for the 2015 presidential election, Buhari made a blunder in front of a crowd when he referred to his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as Osinbade. This was capitalised on by the opposition, who regarded the blunder as a sign of senility, adding that such a man should not be trusted with the presidency. However, Buhari not only won the election, but he also secured a second term in office.
6. Baboons and Monkeys
Before the 2015 presidential election, Buhari made a statement that many are still seeking the true meaning of.
Having lost three elections, Buhari was determined not to fail a fourth time. He was quoted as saying, “If what (happened) in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood.”
The opposition immediately linked his words to the atrocities committed by murderous Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, all from his region.
7. The Other Room
Buhari expressed his traditional African roots in 2016 when he revealed the role played by his wife, the then-First Lady, Aisha Buhari.
During a state visit to Germany, where he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Buhari was asked by reporters why his wife had suddenly become one of his administration’s major critics.
He laughed it off and said, “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.”
The statement was a source of humour for Nigerians, especially the accent used by the President in delivering it. This led to the hashtag #ZaOzaRoom, which became a social media trend.
