Respected Islamic cleric, Sheikh Hamd Gumi has revealed that President Muhammad Buhari, the major poster boy of the change agenda in Nigeria is very hostile to new ideas or any ideas that counter his mindset.
Gumi said it is impossible to change the President’s mindset because even his closest relation, his wife Aisha is unable to do so, even in the other room.
“I cannot get to the other room with him because I am not his wife but even somebody who has access to the other room cannot get ideas into his head,” Gumi said in an interview with Punch news.
“How do you blame somebody who does not have access to the other room? You cannot change Buhari. He is already cast in a mentality. He believes that most Nigerians, if not all, are rascals, thieves and 419. He believes only his own circle are the good people. You cannot get across anything.”
Gumi added: “I cannot get to the other room with him because I am not his wife but even somebody who has access to the other room cannot get ideas into his head.
“How do you blame somebody who does not have access to the other room? You cannot change Buhari. He is already cast in a mentality. He believes that most Nigerians, if not all, are rascals, thieves and 419. He believes only his own circle are the good people. You cannot get across anything.
“He has castigated Nigerians in many fora and everybody to him on knows that. He is somebody who always blames others; he does not take responsibility for anything. We are not castigating him. We are talking about this publicly for two reasons: first, his followers have to accept something is wrong.”
Speaking on the state of the nation under Buhari’s administration, Gumi said, “Definitely, the situation now is worse. The economy is worse. Feeding is a problem; medical care is a problem. There are problems everywhere. Nigeria is down. Nobody is secure.
“The honest people in government have pulled out. Look at what a Governor said recently; that he was resigning his position as the chief security officer because he is helpless. Another Governor said we have to face the fact that there is a problem in Nigeria. We can’t deny that.
“Buhari is just a common man. He is just an ordinary one man in Nigeria. We cannot be hypocrites, hiding facts because of a man. Why are people shivering because of him because he has a team of illiterate, fanatical followers? We can deal with them. They should not hold us to ransom. He is a victim of this ignorant, unemployed and senseless followership.
“… There is problem with and in the government. We have absolute failure in government. People are dying, things are not good. We cannot continue this way.”
“When I see a leader polarising or dividing the polity, no matter how he claims to be good, he is not good for the situation. You see, it is not every time you have a leader that is good for a situation. Every situation has its own remedy. We need in Nigeria a person who can listen and bring everybody together and also have a way of negotiating in the murky water of politics.