President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disobeyed him by replying the letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo against the administration. This is even as he said that he had stopped his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina from replying the letter because of Adesina’s age. The president explained the reasons when members of Buhari Support Organisation visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday night.

Buhari explained further that the second reason why he deemed right not to reply the letter was that he and the former president were from the same (military) constituency. He, however, noted that Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, who disobeyed’ him not to reply the letter, did a good job. He observed that the reply by the minister showed Nigerians the realities on ground when the present administration assumed office in 2015 and its ongoing efforts to revive the inherited damaged economy.

“We were constraint to explain our position when the former head of state wrote a letter; Adesina was agitated and wanted to immediately reply; I stopped him for two reasons; first, he is much younger than me and Gen. Obasanjo. Secondly, I am from the same constituent with Gen. Obasanjo; so, I wouldn’t know how it will affect him if I allow him to go wild or to go public, but when Lai Mohammed came, I said he shouldn’t and he insisted. He disobeyed me.

“He said I must allow him to talk; then, of course, being a professionally information person, I listened to him and asked him what are going to say. He said he was going to remind Nigerians where we found ourselves when we came in as a government, where we are now, what we have done in between with the resources available to us. And I understand he did a good job because a number of people rang me and said Lai Mohammed has done a good job because I went public in several times.”