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Tag: BUHARI

  •  ‘How Buhari related with the media’

     ‘How Buhari related with the media’

    In Femi Adesina’s Working with Buhari. Reflections of a Special Adviser Media and Publicity (2015 to 2023), Chapter Eight of the 30-chapter book is dedicated to the relationship between the media and President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year administration. 

    Entitled: You always defend them, because you are one of them, the chapter dwells on the fears of media if Buhari will relate with the media same way he did as a military Head of State, particularly the Decree Four.

    The author recalls that when Muhammadu Buhari returned as an elected president 30 years later, the spectre of Decree Four still loomed large around him. He states: “Would he come again, and abuse the freedom of Press? As a military head of state, Buhari had in one interview with the National Concord then missed no words that he was going to tamper with the unfiltered freedom the press enjoyed. And he did. Will lightning, then, strike twice?

    “In the build up to the 2015 presidential election, the candidate had promised that since he was now a democrat, the media would be free within the bounds of the law, and professional ethics under him. He kept that promise to the letter, for the eight years that the administration lasted. But the scars of the past remained indelible. The president only dinned with the media with a long spoon. It is significant that on his very first day in the Presidential Villa, we asked him to visit the Press Gallery, and interact with journalists. He did. It foretold a promising relationship.

    “Buhari was the first President to appoint two senior journalists to run his media department. I was Special Adviser, and head of the team, while my old friend and colleague, Garba Shehu was designated Senior Special Assistant. I had followed and supported Buhari since 2003.

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    Shehu was an aide to Atiku Abubakar, the then VP. Both men ran for the ticket of the APC in 2014, and Buhair won. All the aspirants then agreed to collapse their structures into one, to support Buhari. That was how Shehu ran the media machine through the campaign, and into victory. I must say he did an impressive job.

    “The new president came with that two-man structure, which I considered quite fair. He is a man who never forgets any good turn, I do not envisage any problem. The two of us had been friends, and we had similar career trajectory. Shehu was Editor of Triumph Newspapers. I was Editor of National Concord, and later, Daily Sun. He was President-in-chief, I also held the same position.”

    Adesina also recalls how he encouraged the president to have some media engagements, but the president responded thus: “You know your profession. How troublesome they are. They will not stop harassing me. I parted ways with them long ago, but you are always supporting them, because you are one of them.”

    But, the chapter also provides some details on the withdrawal of two Punch correspondents from the Presidential Villa over perceived mischievous stories. 

  • Buhari on cabals, Emefiele, naira redesign

    Buhari on cabals, Emefiele, naira redesign

    Ex-president Muhammadu Buhari’s responses on some of the key issues that dominated his presidency between 2015 and 2023 may not raise eyebrows, but his seven-page contribution to his former adviser, Femi Adesina’s book provides an invaluable window into his leadership style. Publicly presented with fanfare last week in Abuja, the book, Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023), is certain to elicit some interests and reviews. Ex-vice president Yemi Osinbajo whetted public appetite with quotes and anecdotes from the book that shed light on the former president’s style, earthiness and arcane sense of humour. Undoubtedly, some of the reviews are bound to be unsparing and caustic, not only because the book exposes the president’s difficulties in weighing some of the complex policies that befuddled him but also because of his serial denialism over persons and issues which to any ordinary observer needed no expatiation.

    For now, three of his responses, which are perhaps archetypal of his presidency, invite fair and ready commentaries. They are: his reluctance and ultimately refusal to sack former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele over his presidential ambition; the naira redesign policy which threw the country into turmoil on the eve of a major election; and the suffocating hold of cabals on his administration. For those loaded issues, it has surprised many that his perspectives were incredible oversimplification of complex state matters. On Mr Emefiele who openly and unlawfully politicked while still serving as CBN governor, the president attributed his refusal to sack him to the rather baffling excuse that the man in question did not tell him directly he aspired to be president. “I met Emefiele in office when I came,” began the former president curiously, “and unless there was firm evidence against him, it would be unfair, and an act of injustice to remove him, acting on hearsay. If you punish a man unjustly, it could dog his footsteps throughout life; so if you would punish, you must have evidence…I’m very conscious about the morale of people who serve with me. I also expect whoever succeeds me to be fair to me. I have family, friends, who will feel it. I’m very conscious of fairness.”

    What the former president didn’t say is whether he was not aware of what Mr Emefiele was doing, or if in doubt why he did not call for evidence from the security services. There was hardly any Nigerian who was not aware of Mr Emefiele’s shenanigans. He was both brazen and profligate about it, and he was even cocky, perhaps daring the authorities to question him. The former president’s incredulity is hard to explain. And if he truly didn’t know about Mr Emefiele’s presidential ambition, his ignorance was still inexcusable. However, President Buhari was simply being disingenuous. His response never quite suggested he didn’t know what the former CBN governor was up to; all he said was that the controversial banker did not tell him directly. For a matter that screamed in all newspapers and went viral on social media, it was clear the president decided not to ‘know’ so as not to be forced to take action against a servile poodle. The additional excuses of staff morale, fairness of job tenure, and concern for the consequences upon Mr Emefiele of sacking him were absolutely hilarious. It is strange that the president was less mindful of the damage the former CBN governor’s politicking brought upon the apex bank and the country as a whole.

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    The second point the former president addressed is the controversial and deadly matter of naira redesign. He exculpated himself in this fashion: “The scarcity of money was not deliberately done to punish Nigerians. There is no denying that the Naira redesign policy gave us cleaner elections. It was people who had too much money that had problems with it. When it was said that the new notes were not available, over $260m was found with one bank chairman. Did I take on the Supreme Court on the issue? No, I could not have. Some APC Governors went to court. I refuse to judge people by my own standards. I am not materialistic, but it will be too much to expect all Nigerians to be the same way. It is not fair to condemn anybody, but it is up to them and their conscience…” What the former president did was to completely sidetrack the issue. Everyone knew who was targeted by the policy, and even the candidates of both the PDP and LP gloated in private, assured that their roads to the presidency were being paved with the goofy intentions of a naïve administration. The policy was not meant to punish the people, the former president said; but when it became obvious that the policy’s unintended consequences far outweighed its good side, the former president neither cared nor took immediate remedial measures. His administration even stalled court judgements, balked at the Supreme Court ruling, and relented only when a constitutional crisis seemed imminent.

    On the far more exigent issue of cabals believed to have compromised and undermined his administration, the former president, barely able to disguise his irritations, pretended not to know anything. “If El-Rufai had mentioned the cabal members,” the great denialist said with a hint of irony, “I would have taken it up with him, but he didn’t. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State made his own allegations. Well, they were just governors, I was President. If they had their facts, they should have named names.” Don’t believe the former president. The media were awash with key names of the cabals, and one of them even attempted to set the cabalistic hierarchy of importance. And they acted and spoke openly about their stranglehold on the Buhari presidency. Neither Mallam Nasir el-Rufai nor Abdullahi Ganduje needed to name anyone. There was no debate and no confusion about who constituted the cabals. Perhaps what the president was saying is that he did not see the cabals in the sense in which the public saw them, and that the whole labeling of influential people close to his administration who determined the order of things was nothing more than a definitional lacuna, a mere storm in a teacup unworthy of his attention.

  • Biographer unveils books on Buhari

    Biographer unveils books on Buhari

    Biographer and corporate historian, Dr. Udu Yakubu, has unveiled a five-volume book, Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy (2015-2023)’.

    President BolaTinubu noted books on the former President were being published at a time history was being reintroduced into the school curriculum.

    “I am glad history has been reintroduced into our schools. It’s so easy to forget the role of our Armed Forces and other notable events in the country. 

    Yakubu hailed Muhammadu Buhari for his contributions to democracy in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Atiku’s ex-spokesman Segun Showunmi visits Buhari in Katsina

    Buhari said the publication was a testament history does not lie and will prove wrong people who might want to obliterate the history of his administration. 

    He said: “We will always be required to account for the trust given to us and this will be used for now and future…” 

    In his remarks, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon said, “Former President Buhari has done his best in contributing to the development of the country. But there is no doubt that Nigeria is not bereft of critics, and strident criticisms are made on any subject, and that gives the impression as though nothing is achieved.”

    Written by a team of 94 experts from various backgrounds, “Muhammadu Nigerian Legacy (2015-2023) has 125 chapters that carefully and systematically comb through the various fields of public experience in the country to succinctly capture the policies, programmes, projects, challenges, achievements and shortcomings of the erstwhile administration.

    In his speech, the editor of the compendium, Dr. Udu Yakubu, remarked: “I believe that we have presented today, what is so far the most authoritative story of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.  This is a private initiative which was most tasking in all regards. My role as initiator, director and main editor was to ensure that the work met the standard that I had conceptualized.

    “The work that we have presented today is significantly historicised. It tells the story of the Buhari administration, and very importantly as well, the story of Nigeria from May 2015 to May 2023.”

  • Atiku’s ex-spokesman Segun Showunmi visits Buhari in Katsina

    Atiku’s ex-spokesman Segun Showunmi visits Buhari in Katsina

    Segun Showunmi, former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the February 2023 presidential election, visited former President Muhummadu Buhari at his Katsina home on Thursday, January 18, 2023.

    Showunmi disclosed this on his X page earlier today.

    In the caption of his post, he wrote: “I spent the day with Baba Mai Gaskiya Former President Mohammedu Buhari (GCFR) in his country home Daura. 

    Read Also: Buhari: why I didn’t fire Emefiele

    “I asked him 4 questions of great significance and I left so proud of his efforts and huge belief in our country. 

    “This man is the Wali of Nigeria. And I am Sarki Gaskiya.”

  • Buhari: why I didn’t fire Emefiele

    Buhari: why I didn’t fire Emefiele

    • Claim on cabal existence ‘bloody nonsense’
    • ‘APC primary, 2023 polls transparent’

    Former President Muhammadu Buhari did not sack ex-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele despite pressure to do so.

    The former President stated this on Tuesday in Abuja. According to him, there no evidence of wrong-doing against the former apex banker, adding that,  Emefiele, who was linked with presidential ambition, did not inform him of such plan.

     He said: “When he was linked with campaign for 2023 presidency, I did not ask him, because he told nobody he was getting involved. Otherwise, I would have removed him, and told the nation why.”

     Buhari stated this in a seven-page contribution to a book:  Working with Buhari Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023). The book was written by his former top aide Mr. Femi Adesina.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was special guest of honour at the event which also had in attendance Hajia Aisha Buhari, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and other dignitaries.

     Buhari’s appearance was his first public outing since he left office on May 29 last year.

     The former president also wrote on  Naira redesign policy, which he said was not meant to punish Nigerians but to ensure cleaner elections.

    He insisted that the 2023 elections were transparent irrespective of criticisms.

    He said President Tinubu was not forced on anybody.

     He said it was not difficult for him to remain neutral during the party primaries and the  general elections because he wanted a transparent process.

     He said his administration conducted a poll that was acceptable, and legally defensible.

    He said when the opposition parties lost, they resorted to a call for Interim National Government (ING) to make their supporters happy.

     On the existence of a Cabal in his government, he said ex-Governor Nasir el-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje were yet to substantiate their allegations.

     He said he remains incorruptible because he has not built any new house, and he has always declared his assets

     Speaking further on the former CBN governor, the ex-president explained: “I met Emefiele in office when I came, and unless there was firm evidence against him, it would be unfair, and an act of injustice to remove him, acting on hearsay.

     “If you punish a man unjustly, it could dog his footsteps throughout life, so if you would punish, you must have evidence. And you should know that yourself wouldn’t be there forever. You would leave one day.

    “ I’m very conscious about the morale of people who serve with me. I also expect whoever succeeds me to be fair to me. I have family, friends, who will feel it. I’m very conscious of fairness.

    On the Naira redesign policy, Buhari insisted it was necessary to get cleaner elections in 2023.

    He said he did not take on the Supreme Court because he had no basis to do so”

    He added: “The scarcity of money was not deliberately done to punish Nigerians.

      “There is no denying that the Naira redesign policy gave us cleaner elections. It was people who had too much money that had problems with it. When it was said that the new notes were not available, over $260 million was found with one bank chairman. Did I take on the Supreme Court on the issue? No, I could not have.”

     “Some APC Governors went to court. I refuse to judge people by my own standard. I am not materialistic, but it will be too much to expect all Nigerians to be the same way. It is not fair to condemn anybody, but it is up to them and their conscience. I want to continue to conduct myself with clear conscience, so that when I go to bed, I sleep off immediately.”

    The former President defended the 2023 elections as transparent and legally defensible.

     He added: “Nobody interfered with the process. It was so transparent. They talk of voters’ suppression in some areas. We were not  a perfect government. People are bound to disagree, and some do it violently.

    “ Democracy allows people to express their will, and we did not attempt to control them. People understood the implications of their choices, and we did not force them.

     “ My state, Katsina, showed the beauty of the whole system, In the presidential poll, APC lost. But they came back to win the governorship. Maybe they took things for granted earlier because it was my state, and they thought they would win easily. People do not like being taken for granted.

     “I have not responded because it is irrelevant, We had our objectives, held the elections, and finished within the time stipulated by the Constitution.

      “ I did not expect perfect elections. But we did what was acceptable, and legally defensible,

     “We conducted ourselves so transparently, people participated openly, and we had no problem of credibility. I even displayed my ballot openly for people to see that I meant what I said, I do what I say, lawyers may continue talking about the legality of it or not but  I will do what is right.”

     Buhari gave himself a pass mark on his three-point agenda in office.

    He said: “We campaigned basically on Security, Economy, and Anti-Corruption. Have I succeeded after eight years? . 

    “On security, I will say I have done my best. Go and ask the Governors of Borno and Yobe States the position of their states in 2015, and what is the position now. I will hand over a more stable Nigeria, particularly the North East.

    “Economy, we were entirely dependent on petroleum in 2015, now it is no longer so. We have diversified the economy and no longer depend on oil to survive as a nation.”

    “On the war against corruption, check with the relevant agencies, how many people have been prosecuted, and the impact it has had on others. Nobody can accuse me of corruption, I have not built any new house, and I have always declared my assets. You can  ask the Accountant-General or Attorney-General of the Federation, whether there was even an anonymous letter accusing me of anything.

    He debunked allegations of ethnicity and religious bigotry, especially alleged Fulanisation of the polity.

     He said: “I do not know what it means (Fulanisation). I was not brought up under Fulani culture, though I look like one. I did not know my father, but he was 100% Fulani, and my mother was 100%  Hausa, she brought me up. It is very unfair to talk about any Fulanisation.

    “ I cannot  interfere with clear conscience. People can make up their minds based on what their reasons are. I hope they will be fair.”

    Buhari went memory lane to prove that while he had been denied justice by his fellow Hausa-Fulani judges, a Christian was fair to him.

     He said: “Our problem is not ethnicity or religion, it is ourselves. After my third appearance in the Supreme Court, I came out to speak to those who were present then. I told them, that from 2003, I had spent 30 months in court. The President of the Court of Appeal, the first port of call for representation by presidential election complaint, then, was my classmate in secondary school in Katsina,

     “We spent six years in the same class, Justice Umaru Abdullahi. The head of my legal team was Chief Mike Ahamba, a Roman Catholic and an Ibo man.

     “When the President of the Court decided that we should present our case, my first witness was in the box.

     “Ahamba insisted that a letter should be sent to the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to present the register of constituencies in some of the states to prove that what they announced was falsehood. It was documented.

     “When they gave judgment, another Ibo man, the late Justice Sylvanus Nsofor, asked for the reaction from INEC to the letter sent to them.  They just dismissed it. He (Justice Nsofor) then decided to write a minority judgment. That was after 27 months in court.

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     “We went to the Supreme Court. Who was the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN)? A Hausa-Fulani like me, from Zaria. The members of the panel went in for about 30 minutes, came back to say they were proceeding on break.

     “They went for three months. When they came back, it did not take them 15 minutes, they dismissed us. 

    “In 2007, who was the CJN? Idris Kutigi. Again, a Muslim from the North. After eight months or so, he dismissed the case.

     “In 2011, because I was so persistent, Justice Dahiru Mustapha, a Fulani man from Jigawa, who was the CJN, dismissed my case. I have taken you round this to prove that our problem is not ethnicity or religion. It is ourselves.”

    Buhari dismissed the allegations of the existence of a Cabal in the Presidential Villa when he was in office.

     He challenged ex-Governors Nasir el-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje to provide evidence to back their claims.

    “I think that is bloody nonsense. See how we in the APC did our things transparently in the party primary election. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not forced on anybody. If even a Vice President would fail to get the party’s ticket, then it showed how free and fair the process was.

     “ Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and Pastor Tunde Bakare complained loudly, but they could not prove it was not transparent.

     “For me, to remain neutral in the process was not difficult, as I had made people know how I arrived where I was. If it was all about money, I would not get it.”

     “If El-Rufai had mentioned the cabal members, I would have taken it up with him, but he didn’t.

     “Governor Ganduje of Kano State made his own allegations. Well, they are just governors, I am President. If they had their facts, they should have named names.

     “I am not perfect. If they think that they are perfect, let them give the evidence in their respective states.”

     Buhari said he retained the late Aisha Alhassan (Mama Taraba)  in his cabinet after she declared that she will not vote for him in 2019 to prove that he is tolerant of opposing views.

     “Yes, she was my Minister of Women Affairs, and she said publicly that she would not vote me for a second term. And I kept her in the cabinet to prove to Nigerians that I

     accept those who agree and disagree with me. That is one of the strongest evidences.

     The former President said he will not write a memoir in order not to hurt people.

     “One of my fundamental weaknesses is that I do not like to hurt people. There is no way I will write memoir without abusing some people. Even if they are dead, their children and grandchildren are still around. What some people have done to this country is terrible,” he said.

  • Buhari: why I didn’t fire Emefiele

    Buhari: why I didn’t fire Emefiele

    • Claim on cabal existence ‘bloody nonsense’ •‘APC primary, 2023 polls transparent’

    Former President Muhammadu Buhari did not sack ex-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele despite pressure to do so.

    The former president stated this on Tuesday, January 16, in Abuja.

    According to him, there is no evidence of wrongdoing against the former apex banker, adding that Emefiele, who was linked with presidential ambition, did not inform him of such a plan.

    He said: “When he was linked with the campaign for the 2023 presidency, I did not ask him, because he told nobody he was getting involved. Otherwise, I would have removed him, and told the nation why.”

    Buhari stated this in a seven-page contribution to a book ‘Working with Buhari’ Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023). The book was written by his former top aide Mr. Femi Adesina.

    Apart from Buhari, his wife Hajia Aisha, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and other dignitaries, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the special guest of honour.

    Buhari’s appearance was his first public outing since he left office on May 29 last year.

    Buhari also wrote on the Naira redesign policy, which he said was not meant to punish Nigerians but to ensure cleaner elections.

    He insisted that the 2023 elections were transparent irrespective of criticisms.

    He said President Tinubu was not forced on anybody.

    He said it was not difficult for him to remain neutral during the party primaries and the general elections because he wanted a transparent process.

    He said his administration conducted a poll that was acceptable, and legally defensible.

    He said when the opposition parties lost, they resorted to a call for Interim National Government (ING) to make their supporters happy.

    On the existence of a Cabal in his government, he said ex-Governor Nasir el-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje were yet to substantiate their allegations.

    He said he remains incorruptible because he has not built any new house, and he has always declared his assets

    Speaking further on the former CBN governor, the ex-president explained: “I met Emefiele in office when I came, and unless there was firm evidence against him, it would be unfair, and an act of injustice to remove him, acting on hearsay.

    “If you punish a man unjustly, it could dog his footsteps throughout life, so if you would punish, you must have evidence. And you should know that yourself wouldn’t be there forever. You would leave one day.

    “I’m very conscious about the morale of people who serve with me. I also expect whoever succeeds me to be fair to me. I have family, friends, who will feel it. I’m very conscious of fairness.

    On the Naira redesign policy, Buhari insisted it was necessary to get cleaner elections in 2023.

    He said he did not take on the Supreme Court because he had no basis to do so”

    He added: “The scarcity of money was not deliberately done to punish Nigerians.

     “There is no denying that the Naira redesign policy gave us cleaner elections. It was people who had too much money that had problems with it. When it was said that the new notes were not available, over $260 million was found with one bank chairman. Did I take on the Supreme Court on the issue? No, I could not have.”

    “Some APC Governors went to court. I refuse to judge people by my own standards. I am not materialistic, but it will be too much to expect all Nigerians to be the same way. It is not fair to condemn anybody, but it is up to them and their conscience. I want to continue to conduct myself with a clear conscience so that when I go to bed, I sleep off immediately.”

    The former President defended the 2023 elections as transparent and legally defensible.

    He added: “Nobody interfered with the process. It was so transparent. They talk of voters’ suppression in some areas. We were not a perfect government. People are bound to disagree, and some do it violently.

    “Democracy allows people to express their will, and we did not attempt to control them. People understood the implications of their choices, and we did not force them.

    “My state, Katsina, showed the beauty of the whole system, in the presidential poll, APC lost. But they came back to win the governorship. Maybe they took things for granted earlier because it was my state, and they thought they would win easily. People do not like being taken for granted.

    “I have not responded because it is irrelevant, we had our objectives, held the elections, and finished within the time stipulated by the Constitution.

     “I did not expect perfect elections. But we did what was acceptable, and legally defensible,

    “We conducted ourselves so transparently, people participated openly, and we had no problem of credibility. I even displayed my ballot openly for people to see that I meant what I said, I do what I say, lawyers may continue talking about the legality of it or not but I will do what is right.”

    Buhari gave himself a pass mark on his three-point agenda in office.

    He said: “We campaigned basically on Security, Economy, and Anti-Corruption. Have I succeeded after eight years?

    “On security, I will say I have done my best. Go and ask the Governors of Borno and Yobe States the position of their states in 2015, and what is their position now. I will hand over a more stable Nigeria, particularly the North East.

    “Economy, we were entirely dependent on petroleum in 2015, now it is no longer so. We have diversified the economy and no longer depend on oil to survive as a nation.”

    “On the war against corruption, check with the relevant agencies, how many people have been prosecuted, and the impact it has had on others. Nobody can accuse me of corruption, I have not built any new house, and I have always declared my assets. You can ask the Accountant-General or Attorney-General of the Federation, whether there was even an anonymous letter accusing me of anything.

    He debunked allegations of ethnicity and religious bigotry, especially alleged Fulanisation of the polity.

    He said: “I do not know what it means (Fulanisation). I was not brought up under Fulani culture, though I look like one. I did not know my father, but he was 100% Fulani, and my mother was 100% Hausa, she brought me up. It is very unfair to talk about any Fulanisation.

    “I cannot interfere with a clear conscience. People can make up their minds based on what their reasons are. I hope they will be fair.”

    Buhari went memory lane to prove that while he had been denied justice by his fellow Hausa-Fulani judges, a Christian was fair to him.

    He said: “Our problem is not ethnicity or religion, it is ourselves. After my third appearance in the Supreme Court, I came out to speak to those who were present then. I told them, that from 2003, I had spent 30 months in court. The President of the Court of Appeal, the first port of call for representation by presidential election complaint, then, was my classmate in secondary school in Katsina,

    “We spent six years in the same class, Justice Umaru Abdullahi. The head of my legal team was Chief Mike Ahamba, a Roman Catholic and an Ibo man.

    “When the President of the Court decided that we should present our case, my first witness was in the box.

    “Ahamba insisted that a letter should be sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to present the register of constituencies in some of the states to prove that what they announced was falsehood. It was documented.

    “When they gave judgment, another Ibo man, the late Justice Sylvanus Nsofor, asked for the reaction from INEC to the letter sent to them.  They just dismissed it. He (Justice Nsofor) then decided to write a minority judgment. That was after 27 months in court.

    “We went to the Supreme Court. Who was the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN)? A Hausa-Fulani like me, from Zaria. The members of the panel went in for about 30 minutes, came back to say they were proceeding on break.

    “They went for three months. When they came back, it did not take them 15 minutes, they dismissed us.

    “In 2007, who was the CJN? Idris Kutigi. Again, a Muslim from the North. After eight months or so, he dismissed the case.

    “In 2011, because I was so persistent, Justice Dahiru Mustapha, a Fulani man from Jigawa, who was the CJN, dismissed my case. I have taken you round this to prove that our problem is not ethnicity or religion. It is ourselves.”

    Buhari dismissed the allegations of the existence of a Cabal in the Presidential Villa when he was in office.

    He challenged ex-Governors Nasir el-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje to provide evidence to back their claims.

    “I think that is bloody nonsense. See how we in the APC did our things transparently in the party primary election. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not forced on anybody. If even a Vice President would fail to get the party’s ticket, then it showed how free and fair the process was.

    “Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and Pastor Tunde Bakare complained loudly, but they could not prove it was not transparent.

    Read Also: Buhari apologises for hardship caused by his reforms

    “For me, to remain neutral in the process was not difficult, as I had made people know how I arrived where I was. If it was all about money, I would not get it.”

    “If El-Rufai had mentioned the cabal members, I would have taken it up with him, but he didn’t.

    “Governor Ganduje of Kano State made his own allegations. Well, they are just governors, I am President. If they had their facts, they should have named names.

    “I am not perfect. If they think that they are perfect, let them give the evidence in their respective states.”

    Buhari said he retained the late Aisha Alhassan (Mama Taraba) in his cabinet after she declared that she would not vote for him in 2019 to prove that he is tolerant of opposing views.

    “Yes, she was my Minister of Women Affairs, and she said publicly that she would not vote me for a second term. And I kept her in the cabinet to prove to Nigerians that I accept those who agree and disagree with me. That is one of the strongest evidence.

    The former President said he would not write a memoir in order not to hurt people.

    “One of my fundamental weaknesses is that I do not like to hurt people. There is no way I will write a memoir without abusing some people. Even if they are dead, their children and grandchildren are still around. What some people have done to this country is terrible,” he said.

  • Buhari apologises for hardship caused by his reforms

    Buhari apologises for hardship caused by his reforms

    For the first time after he left office on May 29 last year, former President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday openly apologised to Nigerians for the pains some of his administration’s reforms caused them.

    Buhari pointed out that the “pains and anguish” were not intentional but were outcomes of his then administration’s push to reposition the country.

    He said: “In our journey to the desired destination, there will be hard decisions taken, and the people would bear some costs…. 

     “There was no intention to deliberately inflict pain and anguish on anyone. This is why I apologised to such people at the end of our time in office.”

    The former President spoke at the unveiling of two books documenting his tenure as  Aso Rock’s chief tenant in Abuja.

    The books are  “Working with Buhari (2015 – 2023)” written by his former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, and “Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy, 2015 – 2023 (Vols 1-5) edited by Dr. Udu Yakubu.

    President Bola Tinubu who was one of the personalities at the event extolled Buhari as virtue and promised again to continue where the former President stopped, especially in the area of security. Tinubu also revealed that Buhari has never interfered in the running of his administration.

    Read Also: We’ll embark on massive education effort to combat insecurity – Tinubu 

    In his speech, the former President, who restated his support for Tinubu,  expressed happiness over the publication of the books which according to him, succinctly capture his eight years in government.

    He added that in all his administration did, “We were as transparent and accountable as possible, being aware of the fact that posterity was the ultimate judge.”

     The Daura, Katsina State-born politician and former Head of State, stressed the need for record keeping. 

    His words: “The two publications  are worthy to temporarily bring

    me out of resting in my native Daura back to the city.

    “These books once again exemplify the sanctity of records and the role they play in documenting facts and figures, achievements and milestones, either in our personal lives or in the life of a nation.

    “I told Adesina when he visited me in Daura with an advance copy of his book that he has done the nation a favour in writing it. He has provided a one-stop shop for our stewardship of the country.

    “The same has also been done by Dr. Udu Yakubu and his colleagues. Without documentation, revisionism wins. Human beings often have short memories and unless events are recorded in print, some people would come and attempt to either distort or even obliterate recent history.

    “But the fact in our favour is that nothing was done under the veil of secrecy. We were as transparent and accountable as possible, being aware of the fact that posterity was the ultimate judge.

    “We kept records of our stewardship, knowing that we would always be required to account for the trust entrusted to us. This event  is part of accounting for our two terms in office, and I thank those who have laboured day and night, to ensure that this history is recorded for now and the future.

    “Government is a continuum. It is like a relay race. You run your course and hand over the baton to the next person. This we have done and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has my support and confidence, in the quest for us to have a country of our dreams, where there is emancipation for our teeming population.

    “With the cumulative achievements of government after government, I believe we will get there in no distant time. In our journey to the desired destination, there will be hard decisions taken, and the people will bear some costs.

    “We can only seek their understanding, and state that there was no intention to deliberately inflict pain and anguish on anyone. This is why I apologised to such people at the end of our time in office.

    “Sacrifices are still being made now and will continue to be part of our national life and development. Governments will continually seek the understanding and support of the people they lead, for our ultimate good and goal.

    “Let revisionists not rejoice that they have the ultimate say in the bid to distort history. Facts and records will ultimately prove them wrong. When some people engage in deliberate falsehood and distortion of facts that pertain to our tenure in office, I take solace in the fact that records are there and will remain inviolable.

    “I remain committed to our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)  and the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have abiding faith in the strength, unity and future of Nigeria.”

    Adesina’s book was reviewed by one-time CNN Journalist of the Year, Shola Oshunkeye. The one on the legacy of Buhari was jointly reviewed by the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae and a Professor of Political Science, Kabiru Mayo.

    The launch was chaired by former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and co-chaired by Gen. IBM Haruna.

    Former Vice- President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo;  Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abass; former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Ademola Adeleke(Osun) and Dikko Radda(Katsina),  were among the dignitaries at the event.

      Inspector of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, former ministers Raji Fashola(Works and Housing),  Chris Ngige(Labour), Lai Mohammed(Information), Hadi Sirika(Aviation);  former Kaduna State  Governor   Nasir El-Rufai and  Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake were also in attendance.

  • Why I didn’t sack Emefiele, Buhari explains in Adesina’s memoir

    Why I didn’t sack Emefiele, Buhari explains in Adesina’s memoir

    Former President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, January 16, stated that he didn’t sack Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when there were speculations about Emefiele’s presidential ambition, emphasizing that Emefiele never discussed it with him.

    This revelation and others were made public in a memoir titled “Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015 – 2023)”, written by former Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, and presented in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The book also put up the former President’s defense of his administration’s Naira redesign policy, implemented by the then, Emefiele, saying it helped the country achieve a clean general election in 2023.

    The former President maintained that those who had a problem with the policy were individuals who had too much money.

    Under the book’s 12th chapter, the former President said: “The scarcity of money was not deliberately done to punish Nigerians. Democracy allows people to express their will, and we did not attempt to control them. People understood the implications of their choices, and we did not force them.

    Read Also: I will have my empire soon, says Ilebaye

    “My state, Katsina, showed the beauty of the whole system. In the Presidential poll, APC lost, but they came back to win the governorship. Maybe they took things for granted earlier because it was my state, and they thought they would win easily. People do not like being taken for granted.

    “I met Enefiele in office when I came, and unless there was firm evidence against him, it would be unfair and an act of injustice to remove him, acting on hearsay.

    “If you punish a man unjustly, it could dog his footsteps throughout life, so if you would punish, you must have evidence and you should know that yourself wouldn’t be there forever. You would leave one day.

    “I’m very conscious about the morale of people who serve with me. I also expect whoever succeeds me to be fair to me. I have family, friends, who will feel it. I’m very conscious of fairness.

    “When he was linked with campaign for 2023 presidency, I did not ask him, because he told nobody he was getting involved. Otherwise, I would have removed him and told the nation why.

    “There is no denying that the naira redesign policy gave us cleaner elections. It was people who had too much money that had problems with it.

    “When it was said that the new notes were not available, over N260 million was found with one bank chairman. Did I take on the Supreme Court on the issue? No, I could not have.

    “Some APC governors went to court. I refused to judge people by my own standard, I am not materialistic, but it will be too much to expect all Nigerians to be the same way. It is not fair to condemn anybody, but it is up to them and their conscience. I want to continue to conduct myself with clear conscience, so that when I go to bed, I sleep off immediately”, the book read.

  • Buhari didn’t interfere in my cabinet composition, says Tinubu

    Buhari didn’t interfere in my cabinet composition, says Tinubu

    President Bola Tinubu praised former President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, January 16, for refraining from meddling in the selection of his 48-member cabinet in August 2023.

    The president disclosed this while giving his speech during the book presentation in honour of the former president of the country, Muhammadu Buhari.

    The book titled “Working with Buhari: Reflections of A Special Adviser, Media, and Publicity (2015-2023), was written by Femi Adesina, the former presidential spokesperson.

    Tinubu said: “After handing over, you (Buhari) said, ‘I will be far away in Daura but if you need me, contact me. I won’t intrude on whatever you are doing. I won’t interfere. I won’t breathe down on your throat.

    “We’ve partnered to make democracy flourish in Nigeria, thank you.

    Read Also: FULL TEXT: Remarks by President Bola Tinubu at Chief Bisi Akande’s 85th birthday in Ibadan

    “Except when I call him (on the phone) to say, ‘Are you living, are you going to the farm?’, you don’t hear from him (Buhari) either to nominate or intrude in the cabinet or complain about issues. Thank you for being who you are.”

    Buhari’s wife, Aisha; ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; ex-Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon; Senate President Godswill Akpabio, All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains, were among several other dignitaries who graced the book launch.

  • Buhari served Nigeria with dedication, uncommon zeal – Tinubu

    Buhari served Nigeria with dedication, uncommon zeal – Tinubu

    President Bola Tinubu has said that former President Muhammadu Buhari President Buhari served Nigeria with dedication and uncommon zeal.

    Tinubu said this on Tuesday, January 16, during the unveiling of two books titled: “Working with Buhari (2015 – 2023)” and “Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy – 2015 – 2023 (Vols 1-5), in Abuja.

    The book “Working with Buhari” was written by a former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Femi Adesina and reviewed by Shola Oshunkeye, the former CNN Journalist of the Year.

    The book “Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy – 2015 – 2023 (Vols 1-5), was reviewed by the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Eghosa Osaghae and a Professor of Political Science, Kabiru Mayo, and edited by Dr Udu Yakubu.

    Tinubu who thanked the organisers of the book launch for providing me the opportunity and the ambience to reunite with his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, since he left office on May 29, 2023, said he is happy to receive Buhari again in Abuja.

    He said: “When President Buhari was leaving office he said he would retire to Daura, far away from Abuja to enjoy his well-deserved retirement from public service. I remember he added that if his supporters and friends deny him enough rest in Daura, he would run to the Republic of Niger.

    “Well, as you all know, he can no longer escape to Niger Republic because of the border closure.

    “I am therefore extremely happy to receive him here in Abuja. We are all here today to honour a great man, a patriot, a dedicated public servant who offered his best in the service of our country since he joined the army in 1962 at age 18.

    “President Buhari served our country with dedication and uncommon zeal. First, as a military officer who offered unblemished service, manning important commands and political positions, and crowning it as military Head of State on 1st January 1984. Second, as a politician who ran four times for the highest office until he was elected President in 2015.

    “The authors of the books we are here to present to the public have done justice to the essential Muhammadu Buhari, especially on his tenure and legacy as the 15th President of Nigeria.

    “Femi Adesina, who served him as the Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, authored one of the books titled: ‘Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity ( 2015-2023)’.

    “I particularly thank Femi for using his memoirs to let us into the challenging eight years of the administration and how his principal steered the ship of State.

    Read Also: Tinubu, governors: fallen heroes won’t be forgotten

    “President Buhari assumed office at a very difficult period of our national life when the economy was spiralling into recession and Boko Haram had taken over swaths of our territory in North East.  At a point it appeared even Abuja, the seat of government would fall into the hands of Boko Haram with the bombing of the UN Building, Banex Plaza, Nyanya and other locations within the Federal Capital Territory. We cannot easily forget how our armed forces battled the Boko Haram terrorists under the leadership of President Buhari to reclaim our territory and push them to the fringes of Lake Chad where they no longer pose an existential threat to our sovereignty.

    “I must say the job of securing every inch of our country is yet to be finished. My government will stamp out the remaining vestiges of Boko Haram, Ansaru, banditry and kidnapping gangs. We won’t rest until every agent of darkness is completely rooted out.

    “The second book that will be presented today is a collection of five volumes book on the Buhari years. The book, “Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy (2015-2023)” gives an authoritative account of the stewardship of President Buhari.

    “Beyond what the editor of these volumes has recorded as the achievements of President Buhari in his eight years as a democratically-elected President, history will also be kind to him as the leader who promoted local production of goods to grow our economy.

    “It will be said glowingly of President Buhari that in his eight turbulent years, marked by an acute shortage of revenue, the Covid-19 pandemic that shut down the global economy for almost two years, his administration embarked on the most ambitious infrastructural renewal for the country.

    “President Buhari gave us the second Niger Bridge. He revamped the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He gave us the Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe Rail lines. He completed the Abuja-Kaduna rail line and Lekki Seaport. He built brand new airports, among many other landmark economic projects.  The Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, which he started, will be completed by my administration, by the Grace of God.

    “Whatever unresolved challenges faced by President Buhari in his eight years, our administration will endeavour to resolve them. As I said during the campaigns, I inherited all his assets and liabilities.

    “Our administration will continue to work, from where President Buhari stopped, to make our country better, create a vibrant economy and secure the environment to bring more prosperity to our people.

    “I thank you all for coming to this event and for finding time to honour President Buhari and the organisers. And I welcome President Buhari back to Abuja. May God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”