Masari, who was speaking in an interview with Television Continental (TVC), added that the president has not failed on his campaign promises.
Buhari rode into power on a wave of goodwill after promising to fight insecurity, fix the economy and rid the country of corruption.
But almost six years into his administration, the Boko Haram insurgency is still active in the north-east while citizens are being killed in criminal attacks — 3,326 killed in 2020
Nigeria’s economy is also struggling with inflation at 17 percent while the 33.3 percent unemployment rate as of the end of 2020 is the highest the country has ever recorded.
In a clip from the interview shared by TVC, Masari said the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains the most reliable party in Nigeria notwithstanding the nation’s challenges.
He, however, admitted that he believes so because he leads Katsina, where Buhari is from, in addition to being a member of the ruling party.
“Anybody saying the rating of a particular political party has gone down… it can only be tested during elections. And from what we have seen in the (APC) revalidation of new members, I think you are getting it wrong,” the governor said.
The governor said protests over the dissatisfaction with the current administration’s actions and inactions are expected in a democracy like Nigeria, adding that things would have been different under a former president, who he did not disclose their name.
“I think APC is still the strongest, most reliable and dependable party in Nigeria today. (And) I don’t think Buhari has failed us. I think he has tolerated us,” he said.
“And you know we had a president, even though a civilian president, who couldn’t take all this rubbish that some people are doing. But he (Buhari) is taking everything.”