“While some Nigerians said Nigeria is a business conglomerate, not a country and the man (Adesina) is protecting his area of interest, others believed that something is wrong somewhere and that he deserves pity, not criticism for paying court to his boss’’
Nigerians took to the social media at the weekend reprehending the comments made by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, describing it as hifalutin statements and mere glorification of his boss.
The social media were awash with comments from across the country, slamming Adesina, a former President of Nigerian Guild of Editors and Managing Editor of Sun newspapers, for daring to put Buhari in the same class with the nation’s founding fathers and scoring him higher than the legends and toilers.
While some Nigerians said Nigeria “is a business conglomerate not a country and the man (Adesina) is protecting his area of interest’’, others believed that something is wrong somewhere and that he deserves pity, not criticism for paying court to his boss.
Also, the acting leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, spanked Adesina for saying Buhari enjoyed more appeal among Nigerians than all past leaders of the country and described it as unfortunate and sycophancy taken too far.
Persecondnews recalls that Adesina had stated that Nigerians are more attracted to Buhari than first republic leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo in an article entitled, “The Essential Buhari: VP Osinbajo got it!’’.
According to him, he said he has not seen any Nigerian leader that has a popular appeal like Buhari and that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was right to have described him as “the most popular Nigerian politician that we ever had in this generation”.
“When he said Buhari was possibly Nigeria’s most popular politician that we have had in generations, I believe it, not just by the hearing of the ear, but because my eyes have seen it.
“I am old enough to have seen our colorful and even swashbuckling politicians in action. I have seen the great Obafemi Awolowo. The charismatic Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik of Africa). Shehu Shagari. Aminu Kano. M.K.O Abiola. Bashir Tofa, and many others in action.
“But I have not seen anyone with the kind of attraction, magnetic pull that Muhammadu Buhari has. And that is round the country, north and south. People swarm around him as bees do to honey.
“I have been around the country with the President. I have also been to several countries of the world with him. I have not seen any other Nigerian leader, past or present, with his kind of allure, pull, fascination, magnetism.”
“Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is an honest man. Whatever he tells you, please take it seriously,” Adesina said.
Here are the verdicts of Nigerians as Adesina is taken to the court of public opinion:
Chris Kehinde Nwandu: Nigerians are more attracted (love) Buhari more than Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and even Aminu Kano… Femi Adesina
Maximillian Okafor :You must be among the Nigerians Mr. Femi Adesina is talking about, who, in 2021, despite all these very huge challenges, loved President Muhammadu Buhari more than Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and the Talakawa General Alhaji Aminu Kano?
lyawoJesu CarolineJk Martins-Ojo: That is d problem with professionals working with politicians, they usually lose their sense of reasoning.
Bukoladeremi Ladigbolu : God please have mercy and restore your son Femi Adesina from the spirit of error
Olujide Lawal : I guessed someone dey use cheap drugs
Hib’s TK-Banjo:I want to believe Femi did not say that-how could he ?
Uzo I. Chikere: Must this man talk?
Emma Ogosi :Yessss! Just as d antelope loves d lion! Odogwu!
Imomoh O Kennedy:What else you expect than to praise his master so as to guarantee his monthly pay.
Paul Oni :Why can’t you say the truth for once….
Yemi Akintunde : isokuso (rubbish, balderdash)
Nonso Nchekwube Ezeoke: Nigeria is a business conglomerate not a country and the man is protecting his area of interest.
Hilary Damissah: Something is wrong somewhere…
Rufai Akeem Adewale: Dementia
Jolaosho Samuel Funsho: Must he be untruthful always?
Chidi Anene : Femi deserves pity, not criticism. This is not normal!
Ugo Ogoke : Chai. Femi don de … o!
Phil Smart: Just look at his smile in the picture…does it look real or fake..?? Your aides determine your performance….
Bukola Falano: This man sure needs comprehensive mental state examination.
Ike Amaefula : Does this Femi Adesina expect to have another life after this era of slavish servitude to Buhari?
Uzo I. Chikere: Must this man talk?
Ralph Umeh: What has that got to do with price of beans?
Chidiebere Onyemaizu: Femi is stuck with the Amir, he needs our pity. His descent to this low is heartbreaking
Komolafe Olusanya: His eyes go soon clear.
For nonagenarian Adebanjo, past leaders, including former Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, first Nigerian president, former President Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Aminu Kano, late winner of June 12, 1993 presidential poll, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, among others, as the pride of the country.
“Buhari can never measure up in whatever capacity with these icons, it amounted to sycophancy taken too far for Adesina to compare Buhari to those past leaders whose records of attainments were legendary.
“For Adesina, with his record in journalism to have compared Buhari whose certificate is completely down and whose record of performance has been seen as battered, to the pride of Nigeria, is a disaster.
“For him to compare the man who has been regarded as clueless, visionless, a bigot and one also regarded as the worse of Nigeria’s president to the founding fathers of Nigeria, is sycophancy taken too far,” Adebanjo said.
The elder statesman said the comparison was out of place, recalling that the sage, Awolowo, while alive, was seen as possessing the record and capacity to govern any of the Western countries successfully, “unlike someone who is not qualified to be an ordinary councillor but who found himself elected the president of a whole country.”
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