Femi Adesina, the former spokesperson for ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has shared how his boss reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s “Emi Lokan” speech during the 2023 presidential campaign.
Adesina revealed this in his new book titled “Working with Buhari: Reflections of A Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023).”
According to Adesina, Buhari was in Spain for an event when Tinubu made the ‘Emi Lokan’ comment during a meeting with APC delegates in Ogun State. Adesina explained that Buhari’s aides were concerned about how to relay Tinubu’s statements to the former president.
“Asiwaju Tinubu said many things, but what touched on President Buhari directly was that without him (Asiwaju), Buhari would never have been President and that it was now his own turn to rule. Emilokan, my turn, in the Yoruba language.”
To avoid conflicting narratives and interpretations of the occurrence, the presidential aides agreed to brief Buhari on their return trip to Nigeria.
“Ever a willing listener, the President told me to go ahead. I did a summary of the Emilokan speech, and when I ended, the President ruminated for some moments and responded, ‘Asiwaju said all that? Thank you for coming to brief me.’”
“The next day, June 4, President Buhari held a scheduled meeting with all APC presidential aspirants at the Villa. Emilokan hung thick in the air, but trust the President, not a word of it was mentioned,” he added.
