Former minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said his appointment into President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet in 2015 was not accidental but the outcome of long-standing trust, shared beliefs, loyalty, and consistent service.
Mohammed, who served as information minister for nearly eight years, made this known in his book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration.
The book was presented in Abuja on December 17, 2025, a date chosen to mark what would have been Buhari’s 83rd birthday. It documents Mohammed’s experiences and reflections from his time in office under the late president.
He recalled that following Buhari’s swearing-in on May 29, 2015, there was a delay in naming cabinet members. Despite this, Buhari personally selected him to join the transition committee led by Ahmed Joda in April 2015, even after other members had already been announced.
The committee was responsible for engaging with the outgoing administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, reviewing handover notes, and developing a framework for the incoming government.
Mohammed narrated how he was informed of the appointment through a phone call from Buhari himself.
“‘Hello,’ the voice on the line said. ‘Is this Alhaji Lai Mohammed?’ I answered in the affirmative. ‘Hold on for Mr President,’ the voice said.
“Then another voice, apparently that of the President-elect, came on the line and asked: ‘Lai, where are you?’
“‘Your Excellency, I am in Lagos.’
“‘What are you doing in Lagos?’ he asked.
“‘I live in Lagos, Your Excellency,’ I replied.
“He then went straight to the reason for the call: ‘Are you not coming for the inaugural meeting of the Transition Committee in Abuja tomorrow?’
“I replied, ‘Your Excellency, I am not a member of the committee.’ He then said, ‘Ok, Tunde (Sabiu, his longtime personal assistant) will call you,’ and he hung up.
“Within the hour, I received a call from Tunde, who asked where he should deliver the letter appointing me to the transition committee.”
Mohammed said he did not feel offended when his name was initially missing from the committee, noting that he was simply pleased that his party had won the election.
According to him, Buhari’s direct intervention marked the start of a close and cordial relationship that endured until the former president’s death on July 13, 2025.
He also revealed that shortly before Buhari marked 100 days in office, one of the president’s close aides approached him to assist the administration’s spokesmen ahead of the milestone.
At the time, Buhari had not appointed ministers but had named Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu as spokespersons.
“I did not need a soothsayer to tell me that the call was a further indication of the President’s confidence in me.
“The same confidant told me on another occasion that if there was anyone the President was very sure would make his cabinet and whose portfolio he was already sure of, that person was me,” he wrote.
Mohammed traced his relationship with Buhari back to 2012, when he asked Mallam Nasir el-Rufai to help persuade Buhari to write the foreword to his first book, Witness to History. Buhari not only agreed but also attended the book launch.
He said their interactions deepened during preparations for the 2015 general election, following the merger that formed the All Progressives Congress.
As spokesman of the Action Congress of Nigeria and later the APC for over a decade, Mohammed said he frequently attended strategy meetings with Buhari in Kaduna, alongside President Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande. The meetings were often held twice weekly.
He noted that these years of engagement, rooted in mutual respect and shared political ideals, ultimately formed the basis of the trust Buhari placed in him.
“Serving in Buhari’s administration for nearly eight years allowed me to witness firsthand the former President’s dedication to discipline, integrity, and national service—values that guided my own conduct in office,” Mohammed said.
