Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has shared a story of how a colleague in the Federal Executive Council once criticized his work in his absence—only for the late President Muhammadu Buhari to firmly defend him.
Mohammed revealed the incident in his newly released book titled Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration, which documents his experiences while serving under Buhari.
He explained that the situation occurred during a period when he was in Washington DC for his routine biannual engagements with international media organisations and policy institutions.
“I was in Washington DC for the usual biannual engagements with international media and think tanks,” he recounted.
According to Mohammed, a minister from the South-West allegedly faulted his performance during the FEC meeting.
“As I later learnt, a minister from the South-West complained that, although the administration was performing well, the information minister was not effectively projecting its achievements,” he stated.
He said Buhari immediately dismissed the complaint and openly backed him.
“I was told that the President shut down the criticism instantly. Those present said he stepped in to defend me, saying I had been doing an excellent job promoting the administration—even from outside the country,” Mohammed wrote.
Mohammed added that the President noted he had watched some of his television appearances where he highlighted the administration’s accomplishments.
“To me, that was the strongest possible show of support and acknowledgment from a President,” he wrote.
The former minister also shared another moment when Buhari handled a petition written against him during his tenure.
He narrated that on one occasion, while visiting the President, he noticed the Aide-de-Camp acting strangely.
According to him, the ADC later admitted that a petition accusing him of misconduct had been submitted to Buhari.
“The President looked at the petition and said, ‘Lai? I don’t believe it!’” Mohammed recalled.
Nonetheless, Buhari still ordered an investigation. Mohammed wrote that when the inquiry concluded, he was cleared of all allegations.
He noted that throughout his time in office, Buhari rarely turned down his requests, though there was one particularly delicate situation involving former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial 2018 open letter.
In the letter, Obasanjo criticised the Buhari administration and advised him not to run for a second term.
Mohammed said Buhari initially instructed that no official response should be issued, out of respect for Obasanjo’s senior military status.
“I had spoken with Femi Adesina about the need to reply, but he told me the President had ordered that no one should respond,” he wrote.
Mohammed insisted that the matter required an official response for Nigeria’s sake.
He described the discussion as nearly confrontational, but Buhari eventually agreed—though reluctantly.
“I went ahead to release a detailed statement, while keeping in mind his warning that Obasanjo must not be insulted,” Mohammed wrote.
He added that Buhari later praised the response after others commended the statement and told the President he had handled the issue well.
Mohammed further recalled almost cancelling a scheduled media trip for journalists—both local and foreign—to territories reclaimed from Boko Haram in 2015.
He said the then Defence Minister insisted that the President’s explicit approval was necessary because troops and military logistics would be involved.
“I quickly reached out to the Chief of Staff… and the President granted approval for the trip even though I had not briefed him earlier,” he wrote.
Mohammed said Buhari consistently backed the Information Ministry, despite limited funding.
“With the very small budget allocated to the large ministry I managed, implementing projects was extremely difficult,” he noted, adding that it was Buhari’s special interventions that enabled key initiatives to move forward.
Reflecting on Buhari’s leadership style, he emphasized the former President’s quiet confidence in his team.
“When the late President entrusted a person with responsibility, he also allowed them the autonomy to act, trusting that they understood the weight of their duty,” Mohammed concluded.
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