Why ex-President Buhari appointed me into his cabinet in 2015 – Lai Mohammed reveals
Why ex-President Buhari appointed me into his cabinet in 2015 – Lai Mohammed reveals
Abuja, Jan. 11, 2026 (NAN) Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that his journey to ministerial appointment by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 was not the result of a single moment, but of years of trust, shared convictions, loyalty, and service.
Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture for almost eight years, during the Buhari’s administration, disclosed this in his book, “Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration”.
The book launched in Abuja on Dec. 17, 2025, to coincide with what would have been Buhari’s 83rd birthday, chronicled his experiences as minister under the late President’s administration.
Mohammed recalled that after Buhari’s inauguration on May 29, 2015, it took a while before he named his cabinet
He, however, said that because of the trust and confidence reposed in him, Buhari personally appointed him into the Ahmed Joda-led Transition Committee in April 2015, after the members had been named.
The committee was mandated to liaise with the then outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in reviewing handover notes and preparing a blueprint for the incoming government.
Mohammed detailed the telephone conversation between him and the late President, on how he was appointed into the transition committee.
“Hello”, the voice on the line said, “Is this Alhaji Lai Mohammed?” I answered in the affirmative. “Hold on for Mr President” the voice said.
“Then another voice, apparently that of the President- elect came in on the line and asked: Lai where are you?
“Your excellency, I am in Lagos’. “What are you doing in Lagos?” he asked, I live in Lagos your excellency.
“He then went straight to the reason for the call. “Are you not coming for the inaugural meeting of the Transition Committee in Abuja tomorrow?
“I replied, Your excellency I am not a member of the committee . He then said, Ok, Tunde (Sabiu his longtime Personal Assistant) will call you, and he hung up.
“Within the hour, I received a call from Tunde who asked where he should deliver the letter appointing me to the transition committee,” he narrated in the book.
Mohammed said when the committee was first named and he was not included, he did not feel left out or slighted, but happy that they had won the elections.
According to him, Buhari’s action of personally appointing him into the committee, marked the beginning of a very cordial and special relationship that existed between them, until the former President’s death on July 13, 2025.
Mohammed also recalled that a few days to Buhari’s 100 days in office, he received a call from a very close confidant of the President, requesting him to come and assist the spokesmen ahead of the landmark celebration.
He recalled that at that time, Buhari was yet to name his Ministers but had made some appointments, including those of Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu as his spokespersons.
“I did not need a soothsayer to tell me that the call was a further indication to the President’s confidence in me.
“The same confidant told me on another occasion that if there was anyone the President was very sure would make his cabinet and whose portfolio he was already sure of- that person was me,” he wrote.
Mohammed said that the relationship between him and Buhari dated back to 2012, when he wrote to the late President through Mallam Nasir el-Rufai to request that he write the foreword to his first book, “Witness to History”.
He said Buhari graciously agreed, wrote the foreword and attended the book launch.
The next encounter with Buhari, according to the former minister, came in the run up to the 2015 general election, after they had consummated the merger that birthed the All Progressives’ Congress (APC).
Mohammed who was the opposition spokesman for the Action Congress of Nigeria and later the APC, for over a decade, said he was usually part of the meetings with Gen. Buhari in Kaduna.
The meeting, according to him, included his political leader, and the incumbent President Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande and were usually held on Mondays and Thursdays.
Mohammed said these long-standing interactions, built on mutual respect and shared political ideals, laid the foundation for the confidence Buhari later placed in him as minister.
He added that serving in Buhari’s administration for nearly eight years, allowed him to witness firsthand, the former President’s dedication to discipline, integrity, and national service, values that guided his own conduct in office.(NAN)
News
Suspected notorious kidnapper linked to multiple kidnappings arrested by Police
Suspected notorious kidnapper linked to multiple kidnappings arrested by Police
The Police Command in Rivers on Wednesday, said it has arrested an alleged notorious kidnapper linked to multiple kidnapping incidents in the state.
The Command’s spokesperson, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt, stating that the suspect was arrested on Jan. 10.
She said that the suspect aged 30, was identified as the ringleader of a notorious kidnapping syndicate, that coordinated several abductions for ransom across the state.
According to her, the suspect who is responsible for multiple kidnappings along the Port Harcourt International Airport Road, Omagwa, was apprehended by operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit.
“The suspect was planning to relocate his operational armoury and camp to Agbonchia/Oyigbo Road in Eleme Local Government Area before his arrest,” she said.
She said that the recovered items include an AK-47 rifle with breach number 2125 and two magazines loaded with 36 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm live ammunition.
The spokesperson said that during preliminary investigations, the suspect voluntarily confessed to being the ringleader of the kidnapping syndicate.
According to her, the suspect and exhibits are currently in police custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang. (NAN)
News
Govt suspend Doctors for leaving scissors in patient’s stomach after operation
Govt suspend Doctors for leaving scissors in patient’s stomach after operation
The Kano State Hospitals Management Board has acknowledged that the death of Aishatu Umar, a five-time mother, resulted from professional lapses at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre, a government health facility in Kano.
According to a statement issued by the Board’s Public Relations Officer, Samira Suleiman, an internal probe initiated by the Executive Secretary, Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda, revealed that medical staff failed to remove surgical scissors from the patient’s body after an operation, a mistake that proved fatal.
Following the findings, the Board ordered the suspension of three staff members connected to the procedure, barring them from all clinical responsibilities with immediate effect.
The case has also been handed over to the Kano State Medical Ethics Committee, which will conduct a more detailed inquiry and determine appropriate sanctions in accordance with existing regulations and ethical guidelines.
“The Board extends its deepest condolences to the family of the late Aishatu Umar and sympathizes with them over this painful loss. We reassure the public that negligence will not be condoned in any form,” the statement read.
Aishatu Umar reportedly died after complications arising from a surgery in which surgical scissors were allegedly left in her abdomen.
Her husband, Abubakar Muhammad, said she repeatedly complained of worsening health conditions after the operation, but her concerns were not adequately addressed before her death.
The tragedy has triggered widespread anger among Kano residents, drawing attention to systemic weaknesses in supervision and accountability within public hospitals.
News
Masquerade arrested, detained by Police over alleged attack in community
Masquerade arrested, detained by Police over alleged attack in community
The Anambra Police Command says it has detained a masquerade, allegedly involved in unprovoked violent attacks on residents of Awgbu Community in Orumba North LGA of the state.
In a statement issued in Awka and made available to newsmen on Wednesday, the command’s Spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed that the incident happened on Monday.
“The Anambra Police Command wishes to inform the public, especially the people of Anambra and other concerned persons, that it has taken into custody the masquerade involved in the unprovoked and violent attacks on innocent citizens.
“The act led to a breach of public peace in Awgbu, Orumba North LGA.
“The suspect is currently in police custody, and investigations are ongoing to ensure that all those involved are brought to justice,” Ikenga added.
He described the conduct by the masquerade, as seen in the viral video currently in circulation, as “unacceptable, unlawful, and would not be tolerated under any guise”.
An eyewitness in the community told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the masquerade, accompanied by some youths, went out of its way to attack unsuspecting members of the public and destroyed people’s property.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said that the incident occurred during the last “Ofala” festival in honour of the late Traditional Ruler of Awgbu, Igwe Michael Okechukwu.
NAN reports that the festival was supposed to be a solemn cultural and symbolic celebration of the life and reign of the late monarch. (NAN)
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