COVID-19: Come out of your hiding or resign — Adeyanju challenges Buhari

Deji Adeyanju 

The Convener of pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to come out of hiding and lead from the front the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic that has claimed many lives and rendered many jobless.

The convener in a press statement made available to newsmen, enjoined the president to show leadership in this trying times.


“The President needs to show leadership. Everyday we watch the American President, Donald Trump addressing Americans and meeting with his cabinet on efforts being made to curtail the virus from spreading. This lackadaisical attitude of addressing Nigerians every two-week by President Muhammadu Buhari in such a time like this is totally unacceptable”.

“The demise of the President’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Abba Kyari to the COVID-19 pandemic should ordinarily, be an eye opener for the president to see that he must act decisively and timely in order to contain this deadly virus”.




“I am also tempted to ask, where are all the testing kits and equipment donated by Chinese billionaire, Jack ma? Why is Kano complaining of not having enough testing kits? And why are we not investigating the alleged mysterious deaths and secret burials happening in Kano?”

According to the NCDC, Nigeria has so far recorded 873 confirmed cases, with 197 being discharged and 28 deaths including the President’s Chief of Staff Abba Kyari.

Adeyanju also said, If President Buhari is afraid of getting infected or leading the country from the front, he should resign so that a more competent hand can take over. This is not the time to be hiding under the bed in Aso Rock. Thousands of citizens will die if the president doesn’t show leadership. Come out of hiding, Adeyanju said. The president has not convened the Federal Executive Council meeting for weeks now. He should do that immediately either through Skype, teleconferencing or physically at the villa to set our clear cut agendas to prevent more unavoidable deaths of Nigerians and spread of the virus. The president should not leave the country on auto pilot without clear direction or leadership.



Currently, there is a leadership vacuum in Nigeria and it’s so sad that it’s the Governors who are now rising to the occasion. The 36 state governor just agreed for a nationwide lockdown of the country since the Commander-in-Chief has absconded from his duties and responsibilities. Under our laws, the governors cannot lockdown the country but when the president is missing in action during a pandemic, then we must all commend the decisive actions of the governors no matter how unconstitutional the act may be.

Conclusively, one must ask: where is our president and the Vice President?