Abuja
Buhari Was Uncomfortable With Politics, But He Believed In Rule Of Law, Says Amina Mohammed
Buhari Was Uncomfortable With Politics, But He Believed In Rule Of Law, Says Amina Mohammed
Buhari was uncomfortable with politics, but he believed in rule of law, says Amina Mohammed. Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), says the late former President Muhammadu Buhari was uncomfortable with politics but swept his feelings aside for governance.
Buhari died on Sunday in London and was buried in Daura, Katsina state, on Tuesday. He was president from 2015 to 2023.
Mohammed, who served as minister of environment under Buhari from 2015 to 2016, eulogised her former boss in an interview with Channels TV.
She recounted how the late former president played an advisory role in encouraging her to take up the UN appointment as its deputy secretary-general.
“We were sitting in a meeting in Marrakesh at a climate meeting, and Ban Ki-moon came over and said, ‘We think that the new secretary-general is going to ask you to come and be his deputy,’ and I said, ‘No, it’s not possible; I’ve come home, and I’m serving’,” she recalled.
“And then, I had a discussion with him (Buhari) to say that I really needed his support and if they came to ask him, he shouldn’t say yes. He said, ‘Of course not. We need all our people back here in the team to serve Nigeria; we need the best’.
“So, I felt very confident and left Marrakesh for India, which was my next trip. And in India, I got a call from the current secretary-general to ask if I could be his deputy secretary-general.
“So, I said with a lot of confidence, ‘I can’t. I can’t leave the service that I have, and I’m committed to President Muhamad Buhari.’
“So, he said, “will you allow me to speak to him? I said, ‘Of course, you can speak to him’.
“I have to tell you, I was very confident that my president would say no. So, I left India, I went home, and they said the president was looking for me.
“I went and sat in front of him, and he talked to me for a long time about service, and I just thought, ‘My God, I know where he’s going’.
“And at the end of it, after explaining why these things mattered in terms of representing the country. He said, ‘But of course, the decision is yours’. And in my head, I just thought, ‘My goodness me, of course, the decision is not mine’.
“In our culture, when a man of that status, one that you look to as a father, speaks to you, know that he wants the best, and so the only thing you can say is ‘Yes, sir’.”
‘BUHARI WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH POLITICS’
When asked about the legacy Buhari’s administration bequeathed to Nigerians, Mohammed noted that Buhari was convinced about sacrificing for the good of the nation.
“I think first and foremost is that this is an officer and a gentleman who went through from a military role to a democracy. He dropped his uniform, and he embraced democracy,” she said.
“I don’t think he was always comfortable with politics, but what he did was try and try and try again.
“He believed in the rule of law, and he believed in a system that even if it was imperfect, he would keep trying until he got to where he needed to get to. And it was God’s will that he would be the president at the time he was.”
Mohammed said she wanted Nigerians to note that, like Buhari recognised, progress does not happen overnight.
“The struggle of Nigeria is what I think he leaves—is that you don’t give up on this country; it’s the only one you have, and it is not perfect, but it’s up to us to do that nation building,” she said.
“And he was sometimes very excited and looked to see the potential and pushed us, but he was also at times disappointed in our responses in terms of what we were going to do and whether we were ready to go that last mile.
Buhari
“And I think that what we have to think about is that he gave it his all. Whenever he was asked to serve, he served, and we have to think about that.
“To serve is not an easy thing to do. It is a sacrifice—enormous sacrifice to his wife, to his children, to his family, and to his lifestyle, because remember, he was also not a person who was always out there.
“He was very much one that kept his own council and a very small gathering of trusted friends and family.”
Mohammed said Buhari stood for the courage of his conviction, adding that the late former president never wavered in the time she worked with him and encouraged Nigerians to embody the same morals.
Obi, Amaechi, Others Meet In Abuja, Discuss Nigeria’s Democratic Future
Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, on Saturday hosted Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and other opposition leaders at his Abuja residence.
Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central, Achike Udenwa, former governor of Anambra; and Victor Oganku were also at the meeting.
TheCable understands that discussions by the politicians centred on strengthening the opposition front and Nigeria’s democratic future.
Amaechi, Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar are members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and are eyeing the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former minister contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary and came second behind President Bola Tinubu, who won the party’s ticket.
In March, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the party was working to adopt a consensus approach in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2027 poll.
Abdullahi said the party had the options of direct primaries and consensus for electing its presidential candidate, adding that indirect primaries were “no longer on the table”, as stipulated in the amended Electoral Act.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, Amaechi said he has positioned himself as a viable contender for the next presidential race on the ADC platform.
Amaechi rejected the call for a consensus arrangement within the ADC ahead of the 2027 poll, insisting that aspirants must be allowed to test their popularity at the ballot.
Peter Obi
He said Nigerians are yearning for competent leadership to address economic hardship and insecurity.
The former governor of Rivers, however, said he would support Abubakar if the former vice-president emerges as the party’s standard-bearer for the 2027 presidential poll.
FG Warns Against Illegal Use Of Ambassador Title, Fake Diplomatic Identities
President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has warned against the rising abuse of diplomatic titles in Nigeria, particularly the illegal use of the designation “Ambassador” by unauthorised individuals and groups.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, in Abuja.
“Some of the persons conferred illegally with the Ambassadorial titles unfortunately parade themselves as such in official communications and even in engagements with foreign embassies in Nigeria which has caused serious embarrassment to the federal government.
“The Ministry warns that individuals parading themselves as “Ambassadors” based on such deceitful conferment are engaging in impersonation, which is a criminal offence and therefore strongly cautions all persons involved in such illegalities or parading themselves as Ambassadors to desist forthwith,” the statement said.
The government also raised alarm over the use of fake diplomatic passports, identity cards, vehicle number plates, and other materials bearing the insignia of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by impostors.
Tinubu
According to the statement, some of those involved in the practice go as far as parading themselves as ambassadors in official correspondence and in dealings with foreign missions in Nigeria, a development it said has embarrassed the country.
It, however, stressed that only the president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has the constitutional authority to appoint and accredit ambassadors for Nigeria, adding that no individual, group, or organisation has the power to confer diplomatic titles.
NPF Debunks False Terror Alert In FCT, Arrests Suspect For Incitement
False terror alert in FCT,. The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically debunk a viral video circulating on social media alleging an ongoing terrorist attack in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Force states unequivocally that no such incident occurred, and the claims contained in the video are entirely false, misleading, and malicious.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the video was deliberately curated using misleading footage sourced from online platforms to construct a false narrative aimed at causing panic, inciting public fear, and undermining public confidence in the security architecture of the nation’s capital.
In furtherance of its commitment to maintaining public order, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested one Pam Joseph in connection with the creation and dissemination of the false content. The arrest followed credible intelligence and digital forensic investigations linking the suspect to the origin and circulation of the video.
The Force reiterates that while citizens have the right to freedom of expression, such rights do not extend to the deliberate spread of misinformation capable of threatening public peace and national security. Members of the public are therefore advised to verify information before sharing and to refrain from engaging in activities that may incite fear or disorder.
Police
The suspect is currently in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to safeguarding public order and national security, and will continue to monitor digital spaces and take decisive action against individuals who engage in the dissemination of false or misleading information.
DCP ANTHONY OKON PLACID psc(+) mni
Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Abuja
10th April, 2026
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