President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday blamed Nigeria’s leaders since the current democratic dispensation for the “near destruction of the country.”

Although the president did not mention the leaders by name, he made direct reference to those who ‘presided over’ Nigeria between 1999 and 2015, questioning how such leaders had the ‘impundence’ to criticise his administration.

“Those in the previous Governments from 1999 – 2015 who presided over the near destruction of the country have now the impudence to attempt to criticize our efforts.

Nigeria’s presidents since 1999 are Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 to 2007), late Umaru Yar’Adua (2007 to 2010), and Goodluck Jonathan (2010 to 2015).

Thursday’s statement was Mr Buhari’s first personal reaction since the latest criticism of his government by Mr Obasanjo, as reported by Premium Times.