A former minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has described former President Muhammad Buhari as a great leader, patriot, anti-corruption czar, and a man of strong character and incorruptible personality who believes in Nigeria.
While reacting to the demise of his former boss in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP in Jos, Plateau State, Dalung said, “It is very unfortunate that he has exited and left behind controversial reactions as to who he was.
Buhari appointed Dalung as minister of sports during his first tenure in office in 2015.
Dalung said the late Nigerian leader was so humble that his lifestyle reflected this humility.
“His houses in Daura, Kaduna, and Abuja reflected his lifestyle and how humble he was. He is a man of strong spirit because he contested for the presidency thrice and lost, but he did not give up until he won on the fourth attempt.”
The former minister stated, “He was one of the most misunderstood Nigerian leaders and political personalities.”
He maintained that the poor loved former President Buhari so much that he was their political capital because they invested so much in his campaign.
Dalung also argued that the poor donated money for his campaign to win the Presidency in 2015, lamenting that the burden of high expectations arising from his support base was too much.
“After 8 years in office, with the benefit of hindsight, you look back with mixed reactions. He was a friend, father, mentor, and leader.”
Dalung further stressed, “I knew him personally and was very close to him. He has a lot of respect for me as a person and loved me so much.”
“I worked closely with him, and we shared common personal life experiences together. As a person, former President Muhammad Buhari was an excellent personality. As President, Buhari was unable to deliver the expectations of leadership to Nigerians.
He further pointed out that the promises he made to Nigerians recorded initial progress from 2015 to 2019, stressing that after then, there was a complete nose dive and a reversal of the entire achievements, so much so that Nigerians did not even remember some of his legacy.
