Following a year in office, President Muhammadu Buhari’s belief that his pre-election goodwill would still remain intact may just have been in his wildest dreams. Even Buharists are now saying it is high time the President adjusted to see the reality of the situation in the country. Although 2019 –  when the next round of elections will be – may still be a long time from now, recent confessions by Buharists tell more on the declining popularity of the Nigerian president among his own.

Over the weekend, one of the strongest critics of the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, and an unrepentant Buharist, Oluwakayode Ogundamisi, said the direction of Buhari’s government is looking more like all motion but no movement. He further stated that the president relies too much on civil servants and Permanent Secretaries, making his cabinet members redundant. Since the build up to the 2015 general elections in Nigeria, staunch supporters of Buhari have been referred to as Buharists.

Last month, Ventures Africa featured a note to President Buhari saying “the ‘streets’ are not smiling.” And indeed, more than the unheard ‘commoners’ on the streets, even his supporters have stopped smiling. At this time, the Nigerian president not only needs to act right, he needs to act fast.

Below is Ogundamisi’s full statement

“Every ‪#‎Buharist who loves @MBuhari but love ‪#‎Nigeria better at some point must save @NGRPresident from the hawks around him. @AsoRock needs some home truth, told directly to the President. He must be told in clear terms he was elected President by the Nigerian people and not his Uncle or some self serving people he “trusts”. The direction of his government is looking more like all motion but no movement. I spent 3 weeks in #Nigeria choosing to visit Lagos, Jos, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano and Oyo. I stayed away from my “friends” in government but spent more time with the locals in the market places and the nook and crannies of areas President Buhari won in 2015. If anyone is deceiving the President that Nigerians are smiling he needs to send that person to Gashua prisons.

Mr President must CUT DOWN on a lot to reflect the HARD TIMES Nigerians are facing now. For a start sell those over bloated Presidential jets. Reshuffle your cabinet and put Minsters where they can better serve. Make yourself more accessible to your Ministers. Your SGF is rumoured to have turned himself into some sort of clearing house and Ministers don’t have access to you, do something about it. Important files are waiting for Mr President’s attention, delegate if you can. You have over 4K appointments to make, make them now and make sure you look for the best technocrats across the globe even if they have served under the PDP. Probe the increasing human rights abuse by some element within the security apparatus. Listen to some of the ‘wailings’ by the opposition and act on them, promptly.

You rely too much on civil servants and Permanent Secretaries so a number of your Ministers have adopted a “Sidon look” approach. Reach out to the South-South and South-East in a more revolutionary way. Many of our fellow Buharist from that side now cover their faces in shame as each time they try to defend your policy you make another move putting them on the defence.

Even if you want to continue to appoint people from a section of #Nigeria let them come with extraordinary track record that will make a nonsense of the Federal character policy.

Reign in on your spokesperson Femi Adesina and teach him on the philosophy of leaders being the custodian of the people’s mandate.

Seek help on the economic front. Nigerians know it’s not entirely your fault but they do not see a clear road map from your team and if you do communicate a road map it is not being felt by the man on the street.

Visit the APC secretariat in Abuja. The derelict nature of the building is a reflection of the state of your party and the country.

I have so many more to say but will forward in a private memo but the summary report Mr President is that Nigerians are not smiling at all and they are not willing to wait till 2019 to feel the effect of the road map. Oh, I was reliably informed some people around you are already planning for your re-election in 2019. Sack all those involved. They are only trying to distract you from the VERY URGENT task of saving Nigeria from total collapse.

Your compatriot,

Kayode Ogundamisi”