A former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has revealed that his appointment into the cabinet of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 was not accidental but the result of years of trust, loyalty, shared convictions, and consistent service. The former minister made this disclosure in his newly released book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration.

The book was formally presented in Abuja on December 17, 2025, a symbolic date chosen to mark what would have been Buhari’s 83rd birthday. During the event, Mohammed reflected on his long-standing relationship with the late former President and the circumstances that led to his eventual appointment into the Federal Executive Council.

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According to Mohammed, although Buhari was sworn in on May 29, 2015, the formation of the cabinet took some time. However, he said the President’s confidence in him was clear from the early days of the administration. This confidence, he noted, was demonstrated when Buhari personally appointed him to the Ahmed Joda-led Transition Committee in April 2015, even after the committee’s membership had initially been announced.

The Transition Committee was tasked with liaising with the outgoing administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, reviewing handover documents, and preparing a governance blueprint for the incoming government. Mohammed explained that his inclusion was unexpected and came directly from Buhari himself.

Recounting the moment, Mohammed narrated a phone call from the President-elect that culminated in his appointment. He described how Buhari questioned his absence from the inaugural meeting of the Transition Committee and, upon learning that Mohammed was not listed as a member, instructed his aide to immediately formalize the appointment. Within an hour, Mohammed received a follow-up call asking where the appointment letter should be delivered.

Despite his name initially missing from the committee list, Mohammed said he neither felt slighted nor excluded. He emphasized that his priority at the time was the party’s victory at the polls, not personal recognition.

A Relationship Rooted in Confidence and Consistency

Mohammed stated that the personal appointment marked the beginning of what he described as a “cordial and special relationship” with Buhari, a bond that endured until the former President’s death on July 13, 2025. He recalled that even before ministers were appointed, a close confidant of Buhari reached out to him shortly before the administration’s 100th day, requesting his assistance in supporting the President’s media team.

At the time, only Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu had been appointed as presidential spokesmen. Mohammed said he immediately recognized the request as another sign of Buhari’s trust in his capacity and judgment. On another occasion, the same confidant reportedly assured him that Buhari was already certain of his inclusion in the cabinet and even the portfolio he would handle.

Tracing the roots of their relationship, Mohammed said his association with Buhari began as far back as 2012. Through Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, he requested Buhari to write the foreword to his first book, Witness to History. Buhari not only obliged but also attended the book launch, further strengthening their bond.

Their interaction intensified during the lead-up to the 2015 general election following the merger that birthed the All Progressives Congress. Mohammed, who served as spokesman for the Action Congress of Nigeria and later the APC for over a decade, said he regularly attended strategy meetings with Buhari in Kaduna alongside President Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande.

According to him, these sustained engagements, built on mutual respect and shared political ideals, laid the foundation for the confidence Buhari later placed in him. Mohammed concluded that serving under Buhari for nearly eight years allowed him to witness firsthand the former President’s commitment to discipline, integrity, and national service—values that shaped his own conduct in office.