Femi Adesina, former presidential spokesman, has passionately defended former President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that Buhari is neither a bigot nor a nepotist, and that those who label him as such do not truly know him.
Adesina made these statements in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, following the launch of his book, ‘Working with Buhari: Reflections of A Special Adviser, Media, and Publicity (2015-2023)’.
The book launch was attended by Buhari, President Bola Tinubu, ex-Head of State Yakubu Gowon, and other dignitaries.
Speaking about his motivation for writing the book, Adesina explained, “A lot of people have different perspectives, different narratives about President Muhammadu Buhari depending on what they think they know and what they think they were exposed to about him. That’s why I thought the book was necessary so that they would know the real and the true Muhammadu Buhari.”
Adesina portrayed Buhari as a patriot, emphasizing his deep love for Nigeria and his fair-mindedness.
He challenged the accusations of nepotism and bigotry, stating, “Those who call him a nepotist, those who call him a bigot don’t know him, a man who will never seek to impose his own religion on you and will respect your own religion. I devoted a good part of my book to that. When my mother died in 2013, I invited him to the Commendation Service in Lagos; he was not President then.
“He flew all the way from Kaduna to Lagos to attend a Christian programme. He stayed throughout. Yet, some people will say he is a religious bigot. A bigot will never enter a worship house that is not his own religion. And they say he is a nepotist; I have never seen it.”
