Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has revealed how late President Muhammadu Buhari rose to his defence after a cabinet colleague accused him of incompetence during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

Mohammed disclosed this in his newly launched book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration, which chronicles his years in office under the Buhari administration.

According to him, the incident occurred while he was away in Washington DC for biannual engagements with international media organisations and think tanks. In his absence, a minister from the South-West reportedly criticised him, claiming that although the administration was performing well, the Minister of Information was not doing enough to project its achievements.

“The President, I was told, would have none of it,” Mohammed wrote.

He said Buhari immediately intervened, telling the council members that he had just watched Mohammed on television vigorously defending and projecting the administration’s achievements from abroad.

“There could not have been a stronger defence or presidential pat on the back,” the former minister noted.

Mohammed said throughout his tenure, Buhari not only commended him when he performed well but also stood firmly by him when he was unfairly attacked.

He recalled another episode in which a petition alleging wrongdoing was written against him. Buhari, according to Mohammed, dismissed the allegation at first glance but still ordered an investigation, which eventually cleared him of any wrongdoing.

“‘Lai? I don’t believe it,’ the President reportedly said, before directing that the petition be investigated,” Mohammed recounted.

The former minister also narrated how Buhari initially resisted responding to a 2018 open letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which criticised the administration and advised Buhari against seeking re-election.

Out of respect for Obasanjo as a senior military officer, Buhari had instructed that no response be issued. Mohammed said he later convinced the President that a measured response was necessary in the national interest.

After much persuasion, Buhari reluctantly approved the response, with a strict warning that Obasanjo must not be insulted.

“I issued a lengthy but restrained statement. Later, the President commended the maturity and professionalism of the response,” Mohammed said.

He further revealed that Buhari consistently supported his initiatives, including approving a media tour of Boko Haram-recaptured territories in 2015 and providing special funding interventions for ministry projects despite budgetary constraints.

According to Mohammed, what stood out most about Buhari’s leadership was his quiet trust in those he appointed.

“When he entrusted someone with responsibility, he gave them the freedom to act, believing that duty itself carried wisdom,” he said.