Femi Adesina, former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that Buhari initially hesitated to congratulate Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara after their emergence as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015.
Adesina made this known in a tribute published in memory of the late president, recalling events during his early days in office and the difficult decisions that came with them.
He noted that the incident occurred just nine days after assuming his role as presidential spokesman.
According to Adesina, Saraki and Dogara emerged leaders of the National Assembly in a manner that went against the wishes of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which had preferred different candidates.
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“Their emergence was seen as rebellious, but it was within constitutional bounds,” he explained.
He narrated how he advised Buhari on the importance of issuing a congratulatory message to both men, despite the political tensions it stirred within the APC at the time.
“I told the President we needed to congratulate them. He balked. But I stood my ground. He said no, I also said no. I said it would portray him as undemocratic,” Adesina wrote.
Eventually, Adesina said, Buhari conceded to the advice and agreed to issue the statement, albeit with a personal touch to the content.
“At the end of the day, he reasoned with me and the statement was written, with him just adding one word,” he added.
The former media aide used the anecdote to highlight what he described as Buhari’s consistency and willingness to listen to contrary views when convinced with sound reasoning.
“Keeping to his word is part of the famed integrity. Argue with me. If you have a better point, I’ll agree with you,” he quoted the late president as saying.
Saraki and Dogara’s leadership of the 8th National Assembly had drawn significant controversy within the APC, but both figures served their full terms in office from 2015 to 2019.
Adesina’s revelation adds fresh insight into the political dynamics that shaped the early period of Buhari’s administration and the behind-the-scenes decisions that defined his approach to governance.
