Buba Galadima Says Former President Jonathan Was “Almost a Saint” and Better Administrator Than President Tinubu

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa

Senior Nigerian political figure and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) board member, Buba Galadima, has publicly reassessed his long‑held criticisms of former President Goodluck Jonathan, describing him as “almost a saint” and a more effective administrator than current President Bola Tinubu. Galadima’s remarks were made during an interview on Arise News, where he reflected on governance and security challenges facing Nigeria and contrasted leadership approaches across successive administrations. 

Galadima said he was once among Jonathan’s most vocal critics but acknowledged that his perspective had changed amid what he characterised as worsening insecurity and administrative shortcomings under President Tinubu’s government. “I was one of the greatest critics of Jonathan’s presidency. I didn’t know that God would disgrace me to show me that Jonathan was even a saint and a better administrator than those that followed him,” he said, using strong language to emphasise his shift in view. 

During the interview, Galadima praised Jonathan’s decision in 2015 to postpone the general elections by six weeks and engage foreign mercenaries to stabilise security, a move he credited with improving safety and enabling electoral processes to proceed across the country. He argued that similar decisive actions, if applied today, could yield better outcomes than current strategies employed by the federal government. 

In making his comparison, Galadima also criticised the current administration’s handling of Nigeria’s security crisis. He contended that the government had “abdicated its primary responsibility” to protect lives and property, accusing it of focusing excessively on politicking rather than deploying technology and intelligence to pre‑empt and respond to threats. He described the nation’s security response as outdated, arguing for a more strategic and technology‑driven approach.

The comments have resonated across political and public discourse, as debates intensify over leadership effectiveness amid escalating insecurity, economic pressures, and governance challenges. Analysts note that Galadima’s remarks reflect broader dissatisfaction among some segments of the populace and political class, who view recent trends as necessitating a re‑evaluation of leadership performance across administrations.

However, observers also point out that assessments of presidential legacies are complex and subject to divergent interpretations. Supporters of the current administration argue that recent reforms and policy decisions, particularly in economic management and democratic resilience, represent necessary but difficult reforms, pointing to stabilisation trends in inflation and economic indicators. 

Meanwhile, other political commentators maintain that comparisons between administrations often reflect immediate public sentiment and policy outcomes rather than long‑term historical analysis. They caution that revisiting past presidencies through the lens of present challenges may not fully account for the distinct contexts and structural limitations each government faced.

Galadima’s public shift in perspective has further fuelled discussion about leadership accountability, governance efficacy, and the dynamics of political critique in Nigeria’s evolving democratic landscape, as the nation prepares for the 2027 general elections and grapples with rising citizen expectations for security, economic opportunity, and institutional performance.

📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews