Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has advised President Bola Tinubu to avoid the mistakes of his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly regarding the appointments of government officials.
In an appearance on Channels Television’s *Sunday Politics*, Sani criticized Buhari’s administration for its alleged nepotism and failure to adequately manage appointments. He reflected on the former president’s tenure, noting that many ministers were retained throughout both terms of Buhari’s presidency despite their lack of effectiveness.
Sani remarked, “I will advise President Tinubu to be careful not to make the mistakes of President Buhari, and I believe he is experienced to understand this.” He emphasized that under Buhari’s administration, the same ministers remained in office for the entire eight years without significant reshuffles or removals. “Under President Buhari, you have ministers that were appointed into office for the whole of eight years; they were with him for the first tenure and the second tenure, and there was no cabinet reshuffle, no removal,” Sani pointed out.
Sani also criticized Buhari for allowing nepotism to flourish during his presidency. “Under Buhari, we have seen nepotism at its peak where people were appointed into office and left there even if they did nothing,” he said. He highlighted the detrimental effects of this approach, including the retention of ineffective service chiefs and the resulting stalling of careers for many officers. “Service chiefs were retained in office despite their failures, and by retaining them, you destroyed the careers of those behind them. For many years, many officers were retired to appoint one person,” Sani added.
Sani’s comments reflect ongoing concerns about the appointment practices of past administrations and serve as a reminder for the current president to prioritize competence and effectiveness in his own appointments.
