Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has attributed his appointment into President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet in 2015 to years of trust, loyalty, shared values and consistent service, rather than any isolated political favour.
Mohammed made this known in his book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration, which chronicles his experience during Buhari’s presidency. The book was presented in Abuja on December 17, 2025, to mark what would have been the former President’s 83rd birthday.
The former minister, who served in Buhari’s cabinet for nearly eight years, recalled that the President took his time before constituting his cabinet after his inauguration on May 29, 2015. However, Mohammed said Buhari’s confidence in him was evident early on, as he was personally appointed into the Ahmed Joda-led Transition Committee in April 2015.
The committee was saddled with the responsibility of engaging the outgoing administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, reviewing handover notes and preparing a transition blueprint for the incoming government.
Mohammed narrated how the appointment came unexpectedly through a phone call from the President-elect.
“‘Hello, is this Alhaji Lai Mohammed?’ the voice asked. Shortly after, the President-elect came on the line and asked why I was not attending the inaugural meeting of the Transition Committee in Abuja,” Mohammed wrote.
After explaining that he was not listed as a committee member, Buhari reportedly directed his aide, Tunde Sabiu, to contact him. Within an hour, Mohammed said he received a call confirming his appointment and arranging the delivery of his letter.
He noted that he did not feel slighted when the committee was initially announced without his name, stressing that his priority at the time was the victory of his party at the polls.
According to Mohammed, that personal intervention by Buhari marked the beginning of a close working relationship that endured until the former President’s death on July 13, 2025.
He further revealed that shortly before Buhari’s 100th day in office, a close associate of the President asked him to assist the presidential spokesmen ahead of the milestone, even though ministers had not yet been appointed at the time.
“I did not need anyone to tell me that the request was another sign of the President’s confidence in me,” Mohammed wrote, adding that he was later informed that Buhari was already certain of his inclusion in the cabinet and the portfolio he would handle.
Tracing their relationship further back, Mohammed said his association with Buhari dated to 2012, when he asked the former military ruler to write the foreword to his book, Witness to History. Buhari not only obliged but also attended the book launch.
He also recalled frequent strategy meetings with Buhari in Kaduna during the build-up to the 2015 general elections, alongside President Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande, following the merger that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mohammed, who served as opposition spokesman for the Action Congress of Nigeria and later the APC for over a decade, said those engagements, built on mutual respect and shared political ideals, laid the foundation for Buhari’s trust in him.
“Serving in Buhari’s administration for nearly eight years allowed me to witness his commitment to discipline, integrity and national service—values that guided my own conduct in office,” Mohammed added.
