Muhammad Usman Shuwa is retired security personnel and former bodyguard to former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He served as security adviser to the former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako. He contested for the governorship seat during the last general election on the platform of the Africa Democratic Congress (APC).
In this interview with a select group of journalists, he spoke on the economic challenge facing Nigerians, bad leadership under the APC government since 2015 and Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s leadership style in Adamawa State. INIOBONG IWOK brings the excerpts: Can you give us your assessment of the Nigerian brand of democracy in the last twenty-five years? Well, you know that basically in as far as the Nigerian democratic journey is concerned there are areas of success and also there are shortcomings. We have freedom of speech and freedom of association because you can choose or make your choice of belonging to any political party of your choice to exercise your fundamental right to vote and to be voted for.
So, I think now we have reached the stage and level of being at par with other countries where their democracy is functioning and our international relationship with other countries has improved. And the relationship between the people and the government has also improved a little compared to during the military regime. But be that as it may, there are lots of shortcomings because you have to belong to the two major political parties, the People�.