President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years administration will end in one month’s time. He will head home on May 29.
Back in 2015, there was increased optimism that Buhari would become president and save the nation from decline.
He rode into power on a platform of change, promising Nigerians a better deal than the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had to offer.
According to the administration, it was one of the best things that had ever happened to the nation. The government claimed on numerous occasions that it had kept most, if not all, of the promises it had made to Nigerians during its campaigns.
Although there are differing views on whether the administration has maintained its commitment to the people, Buhari has consistently insisted that it has outperformed earlier administrations.
Buhari, however, stirred up controversy last Friday as his term came to an end by requesting forgiveness from Nigerians harmed by his policies.
Remember that asked Nigerians to forgive him, especially those who might have been hurt while he was performing his duties as a president.
While welcoming the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja community to his final Sallah celebration as president at the Presidential Villa, Buhari made an apparent sincere apology.
Buhari praised himself as a fortunate and successful politician while thanking the citizens for "tolerating" his eight-year rule. He recalled his time as a military governor, minister of petroleum resources, and head of state.
“I think this is a very good coincidence for me to say goodbye to you and thank you for tolerating me for more than seven and a half years.
“I honestly consider myself very lucky; I was made a governor, minister of petroleum, head of state in uniform, then after three attempts, God, through technology and PVC, I became President. I think God has given me an incredible opportunity to serve as your President. And I thank God for that.
“So, please, whoever feels I have done wrong to them, we are all humans. There is no doubt I hurt some people, and I wish you will pardon me. And those that think that I have hurt them so much, please pardon me,†he said.
Nigerians have responded to his apology in a variety of ways.
Charly Boy, a renowned veteran singer from Nigeria, criticized Buhari for pleading for pardon after "deliberately mismanaging" the nation for eight years.
In a tweet, Charly Boy claimed that the All Progressives Congress, APC, cabals under Buhari's leadership had intentionally and consciously mismanaged the nation over the previous eight years with impunity and vigor.
The African Action Congress' (AAC) Omoyole Sowore, who ran for president in the recently completed general election in 2023, agreed that the President's apology should be rejected.
Sowore claimed that the president's unfavorable policies not only damaged Nigeria but also diminished its people.
"You destroyed businesses, you took innocent lives, you destroyed the educational sector, you deprived the sick and infirm of an opportunity to be nursed to health. You unjustly detained and imprisoned many,†Sowore said via a tweet.
In response to the development, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) asserted that President Buhari could only win Nigerians' forgiveness by righting the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) wrongs.
“If he wants us to forgive him, let him right the wrongs done by INEC so that we can have the right people in office and have the kind of Nigeria that we are looking for. He should not hand over to crooks but let him ensure that the right person comes into office,†the national president of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu said.
Elder statesman Tanko Yakassai also reacted, saying that all Nigerians wanted was for Buhari to leave so that the numerous issues the nation is currently facing could be resolved.