Laolu Akande, a seasoned journalist and former media adviser to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has candidly acknowledged that the administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari failed to fulfill its promise to combat corruption.
During an X Space discussion monitored by Streetnet on Tuesday, Akande expressed deep disappointment and embarrassment, admitting that despite his involvement in the administration, the government missed a crucial opportunity to address corruption.
Akande clarified that his role was not executive, as he was primarily responsible for speaking on behalf of the Vice President and the government, without the authority to implement policies.
He pointed out that President Buhari, who also served as the Minister of Oil, bore the responsibility for tackling corruption within the oil sector—a task that was left largely unaddressed.
Reflecting on the administration’s eight-year tenure, Akande criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for squandering the opportunity to make significant strides against corruption.
He urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to seize the chance to rectify these shortcomings and deliver on the promises made in 2015, emphasising the urgent need for accountability and effective measures to combat corruption in Nigeria.
“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.
