Junaid Mohammed, Buhari’s top critic, dead

Dr. Junaid Mohammed, a member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic is dead.

According to a family member confirmed his death in Kano today, the outspoken politician, now in his 70s, died in his home after a short illness.

His junior brother, Dr Ahmed Salik, was also quoted by several news outlets on Thursday night, confirming the death.

Junaid, a trenchant critic of the Buhari government, was a Soviet trained medical doctor. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 1979.

Minister of Investment and trade, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo and other sympathizers have started trooping into the house of the deceased located at No. 60 Lamido crescent, Kano to sympathize with the family.

In one of his recent interviews before his death, he had accused Buhari of not basing appointments on merit.

The former lawmaker was responding to a comment by Matthew Kukah, Catholic bishop of Sokoto. Kukah had accused Buhari of nepotism. Mohammed agreed with the bishop’s comment, stating that the president had favoured certain sections of the country over others.

“I have to admit that the core issue he raised about nepotism is real, and of course marginalisation of some certain sections of the country is real, and that nepotism is in favour of people that are close to Buhari, particularly his friends, cronies, relations and in-laws. Over 99 percent of the appointments Buhari made were not based on merit,” he had said.

The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has mourned the passage of Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed and a former Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde Dikko. In a statement by its spokesman, Abdulazeez Sulaiman, CNG described their demise as painful.

His burial will be announced by the family.