A strongly worded political statement attributed to Kaduna-based Sheikh Bala Umar has reignited debate over the decisions Nigerians have made at the ballot box over the past decade.
According to the statement circulating online, Umar said:
“If you voted for Buhari in 2015, you made a mistake. If you voted for him again in 2019, you took a huge risk. And anybody who votes for Tinubu should be taken to a psychiatric hospital because they have lost their mind.”
The statement is a highly critical political opinion rather than an established fact, and the quotation should therefore be understood in that context. The available online post attributes the words to Sheikh Bala Umar of Kaduna, but an authoritative primary source confirming the speech or its full context was not located.
Nevertheless, the remarks reflect a wider and long-running Nigerian debate over electoral choices, government performance and whether voters should continue supporting political parties and leaders whose previous records have generated controversy.
In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari secured about 53.96 percent of the votes, while Jonathan received approximately 44.96 percent. The election was particularly significant because it produced Nigeria’s first democratic transfer of power from one political party to another since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Buhari subsequently sought a second term in 2019 and was declared the winner of that election. His administration, however, faced persistent criticism over the economy, unemployment, insecurity, inflation and the government's response to various security challenges.
Nigeria also experienced a recession in 2016, following the collapse in global oil prices and disruptions to oil production. The economic downturn was accompanied by pressure on government revenue, the naira and household purchasing power.
Security remained another major issue throughout the Buhari years, with Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violence becoming major national concerns. These issues later became central to political discussions surrounding the 2023 presidential election.
In 2023, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC succeeded Buhari after winning the presidential election. INEC's official results recorded Tinubu with 8,794,726 votes. His victory came amid intense competition involving Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, as well as controversy surrounding aspects of the electoral process and subsequent legal challenges.
Economic conditions, insecurity and the rising cost of living were among the major concerns confronting voters during that election period.
After taking office, Tinubu announced major economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of exchange rates, arguing that the measures were necessary to restructure the economy. His administration identified the economy, security, jobs, agriculture, infrastructure and monetary policy among its priority areas.
Supporters of such reforms have argued that difficult changes were necessary to address longstanding structural problems, while critics have pointed to the immediate impact of rising living costs and economic pressure on ordinary Nigerians.
Against this background, Sheikh Bala Umar's statement represents one particularly severe expression of the broader political frustration that has continued to shape Nigeria's public discourse.
Ultimately, Nigerian voters remain entitled to assess political leaders according to their records, policies, promises and the consequences of their decisions. The country's electoral history since 2015 demonstrates that political choices can produce significant changes in government, while also showing how deeply divided public opinion can become over those choices.
The question confronting Nigerians is therefore not simply who they voted for in the past, but what evidence they use to evaluate leadership, accountability and the direction of the country going forward.
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