‘Selective amnesia’ — Bashir Ahmad tackles Arise TV anchor over Buhari’s security scorecard

Bashir Ahmad, former special assistant on digital communications to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has disagreed with Ayo Mairo-Ese, an Arise TV anchor and co-host of ‘The Morning Show’.

Mairo-Ese had claimed, during a segment of ‘The Morning Show’ this week, that Buhari “almost didn’t care” about the spate of insecurity that engulfed the land during his stint in office.

Buhari, who was Nigeria’s civilian president from 2015 to 2023, died on July 13, 2025.

“In the past administration, we had a leader who almost didn’t care about what was going on. Almost didn’t do anything with regards to pushing back on terrorism,” she said.

“We saw terrorism take on a life of its own during this last administration.

“With his administration, the Tinubu government has tried. During his campaign speech, he talked about pushing back on terrorism.

“He spoke very heavily on security. And in many instances, we have seen some progress being made. However it wasn’t anywhere near.”

Responding on X, Ahmad described Mairo-Ese’s remarks as a “betrayal of the truth” and accused her of either forgetting or deliberately distorting historical facts for convenience.

He recalled the security situation prior to Buhari’s presidency, highlighting the dire circumstances in the north-east region, adding that 17 of 27 LGAs in Borno were under Boko Haram control, with no government presence.

Ahmad said essential services such as schools, hospitals, markets, airports, electricity, and mobile networks were almost non-existent in these areas, noting that traditional rulers had fled, and curfews severely restricted movement, even for state governors.

The ex-presidential aide said within two years, the Nigerian military had liberated these communities, restored government presence, and facilitated the return of displaced persons.

He said the security improvements extended beyond the north-east, citing Kano and Abuja as examples of cities once enveloped by constant fear of the unknown.

Ahmad said journalists should adhere to factual reporting and warned against “rewriting history to fit narratives”.

“By the end of Buhari’s first term in 2019, all those roadblocks in Abuja and elsewhere had been removed and Abuja had regained its normal life, something no one could imagine just a few years earlier,” he said.

“These are not tales from imagination, they are documented facts, recorded by the same media houses that now seem to have selective amnesia. It is indeed astonishing how quickly people can forget when it suits their narrative.

“So, Ayo, before you go on air next time to try to rewrite history, remember this, truth is not something you bend to fit a headline.

“Facts are stubborn. And in this case, the evidence of what President Buhari did to reclaim Nigeria from the grip of terror is not only undeniable, it is written in the blood, sweat and resilience of millions of Nigerians who lived through it.

“Two short years of revisionism can never erase that reality.”

Goodluck Jonathan, who ruled Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, was Buhari’s predecessor.