Femi Adesina, former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to late President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed how he persuaded his principal to issue a congratulatory message to Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara following their controversial emergence as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015.

Adesina, in a tribute to the late president on Thursday, recounted the incident as one of the early tests of his role as presidential spokesman.

He said it happened just nine days after assuming office and posed a significant challenge in balancing loyalty to the president with professional responsibility.

At the time, both Saraki and Dogara had secured their leadership positions in the National Assembly against the preferred choices of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Their emergence, while politically contentious, was constitutionally valid.

“Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara had wangled their ways into the leadership of the National Assembly, against the preference of their party, the APC. Though rebellious, what they did followed constitutional order. So I told the President we needed to congratulate them. He balked. But I stood my ground. He said no, I also said no. I said it would portray him as undemocratic,” Adesina wrote.

According to him, Buhari eventually yielded after weighing the advice, and a statement was issued with the president’s minor input.

“At the end of the day, he reasoned with me and the statement was written, with him just adding one word,” he recalled.

Adesina highlighted the episode as an example of Buhari’s openness to reason, despite his initial resistance, noting, “Keeping to his word is part of the famed integrity. Argue with me. If you have a better point, I’ll agree with you.” (The PUNCH)