Femi Adesina: I cried, hesitant when Buhari asked me to work for him
Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that he cried and was hesitant when he was approached by the former President to work for him.
Adesina made this known on Saturday in Ibadan during a book reading session of his book titled ‘Working With Buhari: Reflections of A Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015 – 2023)’ organised by Purplebloom Publishers, Ibadan Tech Expo, Safari Books, and Wells Radio Ibadan.
The book reading section was anchored by Michael Olatunbosun — a broadcast journalist, fact checker, and book reviewer at Splash FM Ibadan — who engaged Adesina in an interactive dialogue regarding his book and work with Buhari.
In the course of reading some sections of the 488-page book, whose forward was written by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Adesina stressed that the book was “about the Buhari software, not the hardware” — the kind of person he was, what motivated him, his intent about Nigeria, and some of his achievements as president.
Speaking on how he reacted when Buhari asked him to work for him and how he felt when he was about to resign from his work as the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspaper, the former presidential adviser said he cried because he was leaving the known for the unknown, unsure of what the future held.
“What would I meet there? What if I did not like it? I did not want to leave my job, but it was too late to backtrack. More so, I like the president, and would love to serve him,” he said.
He stated that he has been selling Buhari since 2003 as an honest and transparent man, and serving him was his sacrifice and contribution to the development of the country even when the pay was one-third of what he was earning as the MD of The Sun newspaper.
Adesina emphasised that it was an honour knowing and working for Buhari, and hoped that the book would rightly profile his former boss to those who have imbibed wrong notions and opinions about him.
Olatunbosun, the anchor of the reading session, said he read the book cover-to-cover and had written a review of the book.
He commended the author for writing the book, adding that it is a must-read book for those who want to understand Buhari and his work as a former president of Nigeria.
Earlier on, the founder and creative director of Purplebloom Publishers, Adejoke Oyekan, appreciated Adesina agreeing to come to Ibadan for the reading.
“As we delve into Mr Adesina’s insights, I want to remind you that leadership is not just a title — it is a set of skills and a mindset. Cultivating good leadership skills starts with a commitment to learning, integrity, and resilience.
“Books are powerful tools in this journey, offering knowledge, inspiration, and diverse perspectives,” she said.
Oyekan stressed that the leadership roles of tomorrow belong to those who prepare today, adding, “It is wonderful to see so many young, eager minds here today.”
The president of Purplebloom Book Club, John Oguntileye, seized the opportunity to encourage people to read and to leverage their book club, which is open to people of all ages, to develop themselves.
