APC chieftain Dr George Agbakahi compares President Tinubu’s leadership to late Gen Murtala Muhammed in education, agriculture, and infrastructure
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Dr George Agbakahi, has drawn comparisons between the leadership styles and policy legacies of the late former military Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, and the current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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Agbakahi described both leaders as “courageous and visionary,” noting their shared commitment to bold, transformative reforms in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The comments coincided with the 50th anniversary of General Murtala Muhammed’s assassination on February 13, 1976, at the age of 37 during a failed coup led by Lt. Col. Bukar Suka Dimka.
Agbakahi highlighted similarities in education policies, stating that General Muhammed established seven federal universities shortly after the civil war, while President Tinubu launched 62 new higher institutions including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
In agriculture, he compared Gen Muhammed’s “Operation Feed the Nation” to Tinubu’s agriculture transformation programme, which includes mechanised farming, dry season cultivation, and widespread fertilizer distribution.
The APC chieftain also noted the foundational vision for the Federal Capital Territory. While General Muhammed initiated the relocation of Nigeria’s capital to Abuja, President Tinubu is focused on its sustained development and infrastructure expansion.
Agbakahi said, “Without Muhammed’s decisive action to move the capital from Lagos to Abuja, the city would not exist as it does today.”
Reflecting on Gen Muhammed’s 201-day tenure, Agbakahi praised his zero-tolerance approach to corruption and sweeping civil service reforms.
He argued that President Tinubu is pursuing similar goals within a democratic framework, despite the structural differences between military rule and democracy.
“The point that I’m making and I still make is that a military regime is totally different from a democracy,” Agbakahi explained.
“Murtala Muhammed was ruling with the Supreme Military Council, but in a democracy, you go through the Senate, the House of Reps, and the people for certain bills to be passed.”
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He concluded that despite these differences, President Tinubu’s efforts in agriculture and infrastructure, spanning from the North to the South, mirror the developmental spirit championed by the late General during his brief but impactful time in office.
