Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, on Wednesday, said his then principal, former President Muhammadu Buhari, during his administration, allowed institutions of state to work and prioritised structure over flamboyance.

Mustapha said Buhari would be remembered not for political theatrics, but for a legacy defined by disciplined leadership, institutional reform, and long-term governance frameworks.

He spoke at the public presentation of a book written by Buhari’s former spokesperson, Garba Shehu, titled, “According to the President.”

Mustapha said the 2013 merger of political parties made the Buhari presidency possible in 2015.

The legacy parties that formed All Progressives Congress (APC) included Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), a faction of All Progressives Ground Alliance (APGA), and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Mustapha, who did a breakdown of elections’ results since 2003, concluded that the three million votes brought in by the merger boosted Buhari’s constant 12 million votes in three election cycles to get the 15.4 million votes that saw him up to the presidency in 2015.

President Bola Tinubu, at the occasion, reiterated that the reform-oriented path initiated by Buhari would be consolidated and strengthened under this administration.

Tinubu said Buhari showed humility, restraint, and maturity in the exercise of presidential power.

Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo described the job of Nigeria’s vice president as the most difficult in the world.

Chairman of ARISE News Channel and Publisher of THISDAY, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, on his part, recalled how he was the last journalist 40 years ago to interview Buhari as Head of State just before IBB’s coup.

Tinubu had in Abeokuta, ahead of the 2023 presidential convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), publicly disclosed that he made Buhari president, nominated Osinbajo as his running mate, and got Dapo Abiodun elected as Governor of Ogun State.

Tinubu, who insisted it was his turn to be president, being his “lifelong ambition”, said, “If not for me talking to you today, Buhari would not have been president. It is over 25 years that I have been serving them. This one sitting behind me, Dapo Abiodun, he could not have become the governor without me,” delivering the popular “emi lo kan” slogan.

However, Mustapha said before turning to the presidency, it was important to recognise Buhari’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory. 

He stated, “In early 2013, as the leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. 

“His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders, such as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

“That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history. President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough.

“I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013, was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 2.7 million. 

“In the next election, he got 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, it went back to 12.2 million in 2011. 

“When we were conceptualising the merger, what will give us a head-start and obviously, it is at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the CPC, though it has only one state, the ACN has six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that have us the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million. 

“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million.”

Mustapha, who offered an in-depth appraisal of Buhari’s leadership style, praised him for allowing institutions to work while he governed.

Held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, Garba’s book launch brought together statesmen, policymakers, and political leaders who witnessed the unveiling of the book chronicling Buhari’s presidency.

Mustapha emphasised that Buhari’s model of governance reflected a deliberate choice to prioritise systemic change over populist appeal, adding that his tenure laid critical foundations for national development.

“President Buhari was not drawn to the theatre of power, but to its quiet burden of responsibility. He governed with duty over drama, conviction over applause. He will be remembered not only for performance but for principles,” he said.

Mustapha recounted Buhari’s decades of service, from his military appointments to his two-term democratic presidency, highlighting Buhari’s early role in establishing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), his leadership of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), and his sustained advocacy for infrastructure-led development.

“As Head of State and later President, Buhari carried a reformist instinct that remained consistent,” Mustapha said, referencing major energy sector reforms, like the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021 and gas infrastructure projects, such as the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano pipeline.

He said Buhari’s election in 2015 was a watershed moment, not just for defeating an incumbent president, but also for ushering in a government that prioritised institutional renewal over political expediency.

He explained that Buhari’s first term focused on stabilising an economy in crisis and confronting a growing security threat. 

The administration introduced the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP), and later, the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) aimed at lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, Mustapha stated.

He said, “His second term marked a shift to evidence-led governance, with the Nine Priority Areas that guided national planning through the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025) and Nigeria Agenda 2050.”

Mustapha highlighted the landmark infrastructure projects under Buhari to include the Second Niger Bridge, Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Highway, Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, and expansion of the national rail network. 

Mustapha stated that by 2023, over 3,800 kilometres of federal roads had been constructed, with additional rehabilitation projects funded through Sukuk bonds and other strategic partnerships.

On the pandemic, Mustapha, who chaired the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, praised Buhari’s leadership, saying it ensured institutional stability, rapid response, and effective coordination at federal and subnational levels.

In the area of social investment, Mustapha said the Buhari administration institutionalised “the most extensive poverty response framework in Nigeria’s history”, including N-Power, school feeding for nearly 10 million pupils, and cash transfers to over 1.6 million households.

The agricultural sector saw unprecedented growth through the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, boosting local food production and agro-industrial capacity, he stated.

Beyond policies, Mustapha stressed Buhari’s constitutionalism and respect for process, particularly during periods of medical absence, when he delegated authority without disrupting governance. 

“He allowed the system to function, reinforcing confidence in institutions,” he said.

On foreign policy, Mustapha emphasised Nigeria’s elevated standing under Buhari, with the country securing key global appointments, including Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (AfDB), Amina Mohammed (UN Deputy Secretary-General), and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (WTO Director-General).

Buhari’s role in signing and ratifying the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was described as pivotal in strengthening Nigeria’s leadership on the continent.

“Buhari led with a sense of time greater than his tenure,” Mustapha said, adding, “He saw governance not as a sprint, nor a solitary marathon, but a relay across generations. The baton has now passed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and history, as always, waits not for perfection, but for perseverance.”

Tinubu told the gathering that the reform-oriented path initiated by Buhari would be consolidated and strengthened under this administration

He stated that the event was not merely the celebration of a book, but a significant national moment – an opportunity to reflect on the leadership journey of his predecessor and one of Nigeria’s most consequential leaders, whose time in office shaped the direction of the country in profound ways.

Tinubu, who was represented by the incumbent Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, described the book as a compelling and sincere documentation of leadership from within. 

According to him, “Through the eyes and experiences of a spokesman, who worked at the very heart of power, we are offered a unique, unfiltered and well-considered insight into the decisions, challenges and accomplishments that defined President Buhari’s tenure from 2015 to 2023.”

The president added that Shehu had done more than tell a story. He captured a legacy and put forward a chronicle that provided context and clarity to the policy directions, governing principles and “leadership philosophy of a man whose disciplined and unwavering sense of duty left a significant imprint on our nation’s governance architecture.”

He emphasised that Buhari’s leadership stood on the pillars of integrity, accountability, prudence as well as patriotism. 

Tinubu said of Buhari, “Under his stewardship, Nigeria witnessed a decisive push to confront insecurity, a serious commitment to infrastructure renewal, a renewed focus on self-reliance and a clear effort to sanitise the public sector. These themes resonate strongly in this book and must be appreciated in their full historic dimensions.

“It is also worth commending President Buhari’s humility and restraint in the exercise of presidential power – hallmarks of democratic maturity. In the face of provocation, he remained calm. In moments of uncertainty, he held steady. His was a Presidency of discipline and quiet strength.

“Mallam Garba Shehu’s account provides a critical behind-the-scenes perspective. The book also serves as a repository of wisdom for public communicators, policymakers, scholars, historians and Nigerians at large. It offers key lessons on leadership communication, governance under pressure and the intersection between power and public perception.” 

The president, who stressed that the country must never get tired of documenting its journey, added, “If we must move forward purposefully, we must learn from the past with honesty. Books like this play a vital role in that learning process. They preserve memory, illuminate truth and sharpen our collective understanding of nationhood.

“Nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next. In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. 

“Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just and inclusive Nigeria – a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens.”

Osinbajo stated that the book was important not just because it detailed Shehu’s eyewitness accounts and some of the most history-worthy moments in the country.

He added that Shehu criss-crossed two different administrations in his book, while also being true to his heart and to his calling as a teacher. 

Osinbajo added that Shehu categorically said he was not set out to write an autobiography, but a textbook for those who would in the future be immediate advisers and practitioners in the prestigious but often difficult, sometimes treacherous territory of politics and governance at the highest levels by writing a textbook based on his experiences, both good and bad.

He stated, “He spares the wise who will follow him the burdens of learning by experience. The popular adage, experience is the best teacher is, as you know, only a half truth. It is actually the shortened form of a Welsh proverb, ‘Experience is the best teacher for a fool, the wise learn from history.

“History is a kinder and gentler teacher and experience. So, he gives a blow by blowaccount of the inside story, and several inside stories, including the conflict that developed between Vice President Abubakar and President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“He says how he, as a media person to Vice President Atiku, in navigating that debacle, he lost his job, and he tells the story of how one evening, he got a call from NTA and he was told, ‘we are announcing your resignation tonight.’ He said he had not resigned. The voice said, ‘well, we have your letter of resignation here,’ and yes, his resignation was announced that evening.” 

Osinbajo added, “Just reflecting about the conflict between the vice president and the president, I think that the only other vice president who’s here agrees with me that the job of the vice president was mostly the most difficult in the world.

“It was His Excellency, Umar Ganduje, former Chairman of APC, in his famous work, ‘Deputising’, who humorously describes the conundrum that deputies face. And he once said to me, ‘When you are a deputy or you are vice, you are in a difficult position,’ and then he would pause like a great storyteller that he is.

“He said every action you take is likely to be misinterpreted, not necessarily by your boss, but by the numerous people around you. He says if you humbly walk behind your boss, they will say, look at him, they will say he’s not cooperating with his boss. If you walk by his side, they will say, see this man, he thinks he’s equal to the boss, and if you walk in front of him, they will say, he thinks he’s better than his boss.”

The publisher of THISDAY and Chairman of ARISE News, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, recalled he was the last journalist to interview Buhari as military Head of state.

Obaigbena stated, “I also remember that as a journalist, I was the last to interview then General Muhammadu Buhari as Head of State. I was working for Time magazine in New York, after the interview, I flew to New York to have the interview published in 1985. 

“So, as we had laid out the interview as it was those days, the editor of Time magazine called me and said, do you think this interview will be published? I said, yes, there had just being a coup in Nigeria.

“That was another momentous day for me. So as with Garba Shehu, now witness to history. And Garba has told the story of his witnessed statement using the eyes of Buhari today. 

“Garba is a formidable journalist who has gone through hell and high water and climbed to the mountain top in the service of Nigeria. He has his panache; he has his determination. He’s being everything. He’s being head of Nigerian Union of Journalists, President of the Guild of Editors, and publisher. His best is yet to come.”

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, said he knew Buhari as a person not inclined to worldly or materialistic overtures. 

Gowon said no matter the misconceptions about Buhari, you could not take away the fact that he had the firm interest of Nigeria at heart. He added that Buhari also knew that he would do everything to keep his integrity intact.

Gowon stated, “If the truth must be told, Gen. Buhari is a man of austere lifestyle. I was, therefore, not surprised when the author (at page 114) of the book narrated an incident that rightly depicted the General Buhari that I know. 

“According to Garba Shehu, shortly after being sworn in as President and Commander in Chief, General Buhari was informed of the need to increase the budget for catering services in the Villa. He then asked what the existing budget was. 

“When they told him it was N10 million for the State House, including the Vice President, guest houses, and banquets in honour of visiting leaders, he screamed and asked that even the N10 million be drastically reduced.

“Mallam Garba Shehu has been consistent in defending his master without wavering. He takes the bullets of criticism and misconceptions for his boss. I know General Buhari must be proud of the crop of staff that served him with such commitment. 

“To exude such loyalty, I believe Gen Buhari must have given them the freedom and support to work and defend his policies without any encumbrances.”

In his remarks, the author, Shehu, said Atiku served in the government that wanted to destroy his political career, family, and business. 

He said being an aide to Atiku, he was hounded, hunted, and even jailed.

 Olawale Ajimotokan, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Oluwaseyi Adedotun 

Follow us on: