Why Lai Mohammed dedicated his new book to Buhari

By Sunday Oladapo

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has explained the reasons behind dedicating his newly launched book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration, to late President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the former leader as central to the story the book tells.

Speaking on Wednesday at the book’s unveiling in Abuja, Mohammed said the decision was driven by Buhari’s influence on his public service career and the pivotal role the late president played in shaping the policies and communication style of the administration he served for eight years.

The former minister revealed that the book launch was deliberately fixed for December 17, a date that would have marked Buhari’s 83rd birthday. He disclosed that the event was initially scheduled for December 6, his own birthday, but was shifted as a mark of respect to the former president.

“Today marks the first posthumous birthday of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Were he still alive, he would have been 83 years old today,” Mohammed said. “In his honour, I decided to move the launch of this book from December 6 to December 17, his birthday.”

Mohammed explained that he began writing the book in June 2025 and never anticipated Buhari’s death on July 13, 2025, noting that the loss deeply affected him and informed his decision to formally dedicate the work to the former president.

According to him, the first chapter of the book is devoted entirely to Buhari, adding that readers would understand the rationale when they engage with its contents. He also recalled that Buhari wrote the foreword to his earlier book, Witness to History, published 13 years ago.

Headlines and Soundbites, Mohammed said, documents his experiences as Nigeria’s longest-serving Minister of Information and Culture, offering insider accounts of government communication, policy messaging and crisis management during the Buhari administration.

The book addresses key moments such as government communication during elections, the restoration of the National Theatre, the $9.6 billion P&ID arbitration case, the recovery of stolen cultural artefacts, and efforts to counter misinformation on Boko Haram and the Bring Back Our Girls movement.

When asked whether the book was intended to defend Buhari’s legacy, Mohammed responded that “the truth needs no defence,” stressing that communication strategies often shape public memory as much as government actions.

Several dignitaries attended the launch, including representatives of Buhari’s family, Halima and Yusuf; Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (rtd.); Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; former Osun State governor, Adebisi Akande; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

Buhari served as Nigeria’s president from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023, a period marked by significant political and social developments, including the #EndSARS protests of 2020. Mohammed served throughout both terms, giving him a front-row view of the administration’s decisions, challenges and legacy.