Laolu Akande, a veteran journalist and former media head for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has publicly acknowledged that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration failed to deliver on its promise to fight corruption.
In an X space monitored by TRIBUNE ONLINE on Tuesday, Akande expressed disappointment and embarrassment, stating that the government missed the opportunity to address corruption, despite his own involvement in the administration.
Akande emphasized that he didn’t have an executive role and was limited to speaking for the Vice President and government. He also noted that President Buhari, as the Minister of Oil, was responsible for addressing corruption in the oil sector.
Akande believes the APC has wasted eight years and is now giving President Tinubu the chance to make up for lost time. He urges the new administration to fulfill the promises made in 2015 and tackle corruption head-on.
This candid admission from a former insider highlights the need for accountability and decisive action in addressing Nigeria’s corruption challenges.
“The reality of what happened during the Buhari administration was that when it came to fighting corruption, the government failed. The administration did not fulfill its promise to eradicate corruption, and it’s very embarrassing. Now, people say, “Hey, you are part of it.” But yes, I served as the media head for the vice president. You might ask, did you try to address the issue while you were there? Well, my job was to speak for the Vice President and, by extension, for the government. I didn’t have an executive role, okay?
“The President himself was the Minister of Oil, so I’ll admit, the administration missed the opportunity to solve the problem, and I’m personally embarrassed about that. I’ve said it publicly before. This is not the first time I’m mentioned it, but the truth is, we have to face it. I’ve even gone as far as explaining that. Now, what has happened is that the Nigerian electorate has given the APC another chance to ensure that the promises made in 2015 are fulfilled.
“I believe that the APC has wasted eight years of Nigeria’s time, and I’m personally disappointed. But the reality is that this is what we have to deal with. I’ve publicly stated that President Tinubu is the one who has the opportunity now to make up for all that for the party and the country. So I’m not going to make excuses. I mean, many of us joined the campaign in 2015. I personally joined the campaign in 2014 because I supported the idea that Buhari was coming up, okay? We all felt that he was not corrupt and would work to solve the country’s problems. I personally got involved when they picked Osinbajo as vice president. I said, “Okay, if these people chose someone like Osinbajo, they must mean business.” And I went to serve with him.
“But today is not the day to talk about everything that happened during that time. Nigerians who paid attention saw the difference when we took action in this country. But I don’t want to get into that because it will open up a whole lot of other things. But to answer your question, yes, the government that I served in did not solve the problem of corruption. That’s the truth,” Olaolu stated.
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