Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has revealed that he came close to resigning from office at what he described as the most difficult moment of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr Mohammed, who served for nearly eight years in Buhari’s cabinet, made the disclosure on Tuesday during the public presentation of his book, “Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration.”
According to him, the decision not to resign at the time was driven by a sense of responsibility to history and the need to ensure that the actions and decisions of the Buhari administration were properly documented and understood.
“The toughest decision I took as minister was at a moment when I almost resigned,” Mohammed said.
“But I realised that my prolonged access to government decision-making placed a responsibility on me to preserve an accurate historical record and correct long-standing misconceptions.”
He explained that the book offers an insider’s account of how key narratives of the Buhari administration were shaped, defended and communicated, often in the midst of national crises, intense public scrutiny and widespread misinformation.
“For almost eight years, I was at the centre of government communication, crisis management, national orientation, culture and tourism. I saw how decisions were made and how misinformation often overshadowed facts,” he said.
Mr Mohammed added that his motivation for writing the book was rooted in his belief that Africans must take ownership of their own narratives or risk having their histories distorted.
“If we don’t tell our stories ourselves, others will tell them for us — and often wrongly,” he said, noting that the publication was intended to provide context, correct misconceptions and offer first-hand insights into the workings of the Buhari administration.
Reviewing the book, veteran journalist and author Segun Adeniyi observed that while the publication offers valuable insider perspectives, some controversial issues were approached defensively.
“I nearly resigned as minister under Buhari” – Lai Mohammed
Mr Adeniyi noted that sensitive episodes such as the Twitter suspension in Nigeria and the #EndSARS protests were treated in a manner that read more like legal arguments than balanced historical accounts.
In his remarks at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, commended Lai Mohammed for his service and contributions to nation-building.
Mr Idris described his predecessor as one of the most criticised ministers of the Buhari era, largely because of his role as the administration’s chief defender in the public space.
“Lai Mohammed stood at the frontlines of government communication at some of the most challenging moments of that administration,” Idris said. “Whether praised or criticised, his role was central to how government policies were explained and defended.”
Mr Mohammed served as Minister of Information and Culture from 2015 to 2023, making him one of the longest-serving members of Buhari’s cabinet.
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