PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed disobeyed him by replying the letter of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Mr Buhari stated this on Friday night when he played host to Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The president who said that his Information Minister disobeyed him however noted that he (Mohammed) did a good job judging from the recommendation he received.
Mr Buhari also hinted two reasons why he prevented one of his aides, Femi Adesina, from replying the Mr Obasanjo. He cited age difference and constituency as his reasons.
“I really appreciate how you choose this time during Ramadan to come from across the country to see and congratulate me for what we were able to do,” Buhari was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to have said.
“We were constrained to explain our position when the former head of state wrote a letter; Adesina was agitated and wanted to immediately reply; I stopped him for two reasons; first, he was much younger than me and Gen. Obasanjo.
“Secondly, I am from the same constituency with Gen. Obasanjo; so, I wouldn’t know how it will affect him if I allow him to go wild or to go public, but when Lai Mohammed came, I said he shouldn’t and he insisted. He disobeyed me.
“He said I must allow him to talk; then, of course, being a professional information person, I listened to him and asked him what are you going to say?
“He said he was going to remind Nigerians where we found ourselves when we came in as a government, where we are now, what we have done in between with the resources available to us.
“And I understand he did a good job because a number of people rang me and said Lai Mohammed has done a good job because I went public several times,” Buhari said.
In his remarks, the leader of the organisation, Abba Ali, who narrated the achievements of the Buhari administration in the last three years, said they were on solidarity visit to the president to further reassure him of their support.