Nigeria’s presidents have the Nigerian blood flowing in their veins, and are subject to similar foibles and flippancies like other mortals. Here are five of those verbal somersaults your presidents made
“The issue of public asset declaration is a matter of personal principle. That is the way I see it, and I don’t give a damn about it, even if you criticise me from heaven,” said former President Goodluck Jonathan when he was pressured to go public with his asset declaration in 2011
“Money is not Nigeria’s problem, but how to spend it,” said ex-President Yakubu Gowon. Maybe not much of an unfortunate statement now that Nigeria, dead broke now, was throwing money around in the 1960s. He has, however, denied saying that. It was his CBN governor that spat it out.
ALSO SEE: Buhari’s popularity sinks further – Survey
”What many Nigerians refer to as corruption is actually stealing. Stealing is not the same thing as corruption,” Jonathan caved in under pressure from anti-corruption jingoists then, and the zoologist had to cobble up such jurisprudence.
“I don’t think Nigerians [criminals stacked up in prisons across America and Europe] have anybody to blame. They can remain at home, where their services are required to rebuild the country,” President Muhammed Buhari told the U.K Telegraph recently. To many Nigerians, that was tart, especially coming from a champion of change.
What meaningful thing have you contributed to make peace in this state other than you being chairman of CAN? CAN my foot!” said Obasanjo, a Christian, who shot at Revd Yakubu Pam, CAN president. Pam came reporting ethno-religious clashes that claimed 300 lives in Plateau to Obasanjo