Femi Adesina: I wrote my book to change false narratives about Buhari

Femi Adesina, immediate-past presidential spokesperson, says he cried when he resigned from the Sun newspapers to work with former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Adesina wrote a book on the former president titled “Working with Buhari: Reflections of A Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023)”.

The book will be presented at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on January 16.

President Bola Tinubu and Buhari are expected to attend the book presentation.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Adesina explained why he wrote the book on the former president.

He said when he was offered the appointment to work with Buhari, he was reluctant to accept it because he did not know what he was going into.

“I would say I had known President Buhari long before I came to work for him as adviser on media and publicity,” Adesina said.

“Before then, I had not worked in government, and I had no desire to work in government.

“But, when the invitation to work with him came, (I took it) because he was a man I admired.

“After he won the election in 2015 and said come and work with me, I wanted to say no because I was MD of the Sun newspapers; I was president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). I did not want to leave what I was doing.

“I was very reluctant when I was asked to come to government. When I resigned my appointment, I began to cry because I did not know what I was going into.”

Adesina served as presidential spokesperson during the two tenures of Buhari.

The erstwhile presidential spokesperson said he wrote the book to change false narratives about the former president that was sold to Nigerians by Buhari’s political enemies.

“So, I had the confidence of my principal for eight years and we worked together seamlessly, harmoniously, not once did President Buhari complain about anything. Rather he would see me, and he would say thank you,” Adesina said.

“One day I was on Channels Television on Sunday, it was a particularly testy interview between me and Seun. He (Buhari) now met me in the Villa in the morning and said I saw you last night, I saw how fast your brain was working.

“So, it was that kind of relationship we had. There is a certain myth about President Buhari, a narrative that his political enemies had sold and fed to the Nigerian public.

“I just felt that the true narrative needed to be told and that is why I have written this book and I believe it would help Nigerians to know the real and the true Muhammadu Buhari as opposed to the conjuration we have heard over decades about the man.

“Embedded in the book is also the checklist of all the Buhari achievements across sectors.

“It is very important that records are kept and preserved for posterity, and these are veritable records about President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.”