Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has explained that his appointment by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 stemmed from years of trust, shared political convictions, loyalty and dedicated service, not a single moment or event, according to his new book.
The book was launched in Abuja on December 17, 2025, to coincide with what would have been Buhari’s 83rd birthday.
Mohammed detailed his experiences in Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration, a memoir chronicling his near eight-year service under Buhari.
He said that while the formal naming of ministerial appointments did not happen immediately after Buhari’s inauguration on May 29, 2015, the president’s confidence in him was evident earlier in the year.
According to Mohammed, Buhari personally appointed him to the Ahmed Joda-led Transition Committee in April 2015 after the original members had already been announced, signalling early trust in his abilities.
The committee was tasked with liaising with the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to review handover notes and prepare a blueprint for the incoming government.
Mohammed recounted a phone call from Buhari in which the president-elect asked him to attend the inaugural meeting of the transition committee in Abuja. “Hello, the voice on the line said, ‘Is this Alhaji Lai Mohammed?’
… Are you not coming to the inaugural meeting of the Transition Committee in Abuja tomorrow?” he wrote, describing the conversation as a defining moment in their professional relationship.
He said that being initially omitted from the committee did not dishearten him but that Buhari’s direct intervention marked the start of a close working relationship that lasted until the former president’s death on July 13, 2025.
Mohammed also recalled that shortly before Buhari’s first 100 days in office, a close presidential confidant indicated that he was certain Mohammed would be included in the cabinet, reinforcing the president’s confidence in him.
Mohammed traced his rapport with Buhari back to 2012, when he had requested through Mallam Nasir el-Rufai that Buhari write the foreword to his first book, Witness to History, an invitation Buhari accepted, attending the launch.
Later interactions during the 2015 general election campaign and subsequent alliance building within the All-Progressives Congress (APC) further deepened their association.
The former minister noted that serving in Buhari’s administration allowed him to observe firsthand the late president’s dedication to discipline, integrity and national service, values he said guided his own conduct while in office. His book aims to provide an insider’s account of governance, communication and policy decisions during the administration.
Mohammed’s reflections offer insight into the personal and professional dynamics that influenced key appointments in the Buhari era, illustrating how long-standing relationships and shared ideals shaped leadership selections in the 2015 administration.
