Records put straight as Gowon, Atiku, Osinbajo honour Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, with presence at book launch

By KEMI KASUMU

President Tinubu, who was represented at the event by incumbent Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, hailed Buhari for laying the foundation for the reforms his administration is carrying out.

Immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) during the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, Mr. Boss Mustapha, has dismissed claims that tend to present the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as making Buhari president in 2015.

Mustapha, a pastor from North East Nigeria extractions, made this dismissal while speaking at unveiling of the book, “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience,” written by Mallam Garba Shehu.

The former SGF said Buhari already had 12 million existing votes and that the merger of the legacy parties merely contributed three million votes.

“When you sum up the total votes that gave us victory in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes were 15.4 million votes. So, basically, what we brought to the table, the other parties that were in the matter in addition to Buhari’s 12.2 million votes were 3.2 million votes,” Mustapha said at the book launch.

He commended the former president for laying the foundation of reforms for President Tinubu.

By this statement on Wednesday, Mustapha has finally nailed the claims of both Tinubu and his supporters about making Buhari president, with a particular respondent saying, “How could somebody who made Buhari president resort to crying ‘Emilokan’ when he became agitated seeing that, despite his self acclaimed national leader of the party, he was not going to be made president?

“Now Nasir El-Rufai made enemies for pulling out of Amaechi camp to work hard to make Tinubu president but what did he get in the end? Betrayal. But who do Tinubu and his supporters tag betrayal? The same El-Rufai. Well, like you said of Boss Mustapha, we now know who the real betrayal is, definitely not El-Rufai,” he said.

In a post on her verified Facebook page, Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social and Digital Media, Lauretta Onochie, corroborated Boss Mustapha.

“I said it. They tried to rewrite history. The Boss and I are from ACN. Not CPC. But we will always speak the truth.

“Buhari — 12 million Votes. Tinubu & others — 3 million Votes. Do the Maths.

“God bless Nigeria, she said.

Recall that in 2022 when the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was preparing for its presidential primary, Tinubu in Abeokuta declared unequivocally that he made Buhari the President of Nigeria and nominated three persons including Professor Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate

Tinubu said he, as a man without bring in government, also made Dapo Abiodun elected as governor of Ogun State, soaking in Yoruba, “And Eleyi (this), could he have become Governor without me?”, Tinubu said then adding that “Emi lo kan (It is my turn)”.

In his speech at the book launch on Wednesday, President Tinubu, who was represented at the event by incumbent Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, hailed Buhari for laying the foundation for the reforms his administration is carrying out.

“Nation building is a relay, the effort of one administration laid the foundation for the next. In this regard, I appreciate the effort of predecessor President Buhari and assure all Nigerians that the reform oriented path will be considered, consolidated and strengthened under this administration,” Tinubu said.

Also speaking at the event, former Nigeria’s Head of State, Yakubu Gowon commended former president Buhari for his disposition during his tenure.

Beyond the unveiling of the book, former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, who served as the Chief of Staff to the former president, called for a rethink of the selection of who emerges president and governors across the 36 states of the federation.

Speaking about the event later on his Facebook page, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said, “A day well spent at the public unveiling of Mallam Garba Shehu’s oven-fresh book, “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience.” My list of must-read books is growing by the day.-AA”

Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo led government officials who served under Buhari between 2015 and 2023 to the unveiling of a book by the former presidential spokesperson.

Other dignitaries who attended the book launch include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the SGF, Senator George Akume, Minister of Communication and and National Orientation, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, former Special Adviser to former President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina,

The book by the former presidential spokesperson is aimed at documenting the activities of the author for future generations.