Lawmaker Alleges Betrayal by Buhari’s Inner Circle Fueled Corruption Surge

 Former House of Representatives member Jonathan Gaza Bagos leveled a serious accusation on July 15, 2025, asserting that certain appointees within former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration betrayed his trust, significantly worsening corruption during his 2015-2023 presidency. 

Bagos pointed to high-profile scandals, including the 2015 Dasukigate affai, where $2 billion earmarked for arms procurement was allegedly diverted under ex-National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki’s watch, as evidence of internal sabotage. 

He further implicated figures like former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun and ex-Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, suggesting their actions, such as the contentious 2022 naira redesign linked to black-market profiteering, undermined Buhari’s anti-graft agenda.

Bagos’s claims align with Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, which saw Nigeria’s score decline from 28 in 2015 to 25, indicating a perceived uptick in corruption. However, he acknowledged Buhari’s personal reputation for integrity, a trait often cited by supporters, yet criticized his reluctance to decisively punish close allies involved in cases like the $1.5 billion Malabu oil scandal. 

The assertion has sparked a heated national discourse as Nigeria mourns Buhari, buried in Daura on July 15, with political analysts split, some viewing it as a valid critique of systemic failures, others as opportunistic posturing amid Tinubu’s ongoing anti-corruption push, which has yet to yield major convictions.