Femi Adesina has mourned former President Buhari, saying he was not just a boss to him, but a friend.
Former presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him not only as a leader of deep conviction but also as a personal friend who governed with a level of restraint rarely seen in Nigerian politics.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Sunday night, Adesina said Buhari’s death was devastating to him personally because of the bond they shared while working together for eight years at the heart of Nigeria’s presidency.
“He was not just my boss, he was my friend,” Adesina said, painting a picture of the relationship he shared with the late former president.
Adesina praised Buhari’s integrity, recalling that even when accusations were levelled against some aides, no personal corruption charge or conviction ever touched the former president.
He said, “Till now, there hasn’t been one conviction. There are allegations, but allegations don’t stand amount to conviction. Until those people have their days in court, and some are in court, and the cases are concluded, you cannot say they abused trust. But even if at the end of the day, some of them were convicted, it has nothing to do with President Buhari. Nobody can accuse him of anything that has the slightest affinity to corruption. He was such a straightforward man. But I will not discount the fact that some of those who worked with him may have done some things that are not admirable. But till now, no single conviction.”
He described Buhari as a leader with a strong sense of personal accountability that also gave those who worked with him the latitude to carry out their work freely, calling it a style of “eyes on and hands off leadership.”
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