In a surprising revelation, Femi Adesina, the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, has disclosed that the former Nigerian President expressed regrets about certain decisions made during his tenure in office.
Speaking at a media event titled ‘Media Dialogue with Femi Adesina,’ organized by the Association of Veteran Journalists in Osun State, Adesina shared insights into his candid conversation with President Buhari before the end of his presidency.
Adesina stated that during this two-hour discussion, he had posed a wide range of questions to Buhari, including one about his regrets during his presidential tenure. He emphasized that it’s entirely normal for any human being to have moments of regret, even in leadership roles.
While the former presidential spokesman acknowledged that Buhari believed certain aspects of his governance could have been handled differently, he remained a staunch defender of some of the administration’s policies.
One policy in particular that Adesina defended was the controversial naira redesign initiative. He argued that this policy, which involved changes to the nation’s currency, was implemented with the best interests of the country in mind. Adesina went on to suggest that this policy had unexpected positive consequences.
He pointed out that during the period when the naira redesign was in effect, incidents of kidnapping had significantly decreased. Adesina recounted an incident in Kano where kidnappers, unable to extort money due to the scarcity of physical cash, resorted to releasing their victim unharmed. Additionally, he credited the policy with contributing to cleaner elections, noting that the reduced availability of funds discouraged electoral malpractice.
Adesina also highlighted the impact of the currency redesign on political contests, asserting that several incumbent governors who sought positions in the Senate failed to win, mainly because of limited financial resources for campaign expenses.
While acknowledging that there were challenges and criticisms associated with the naira redesign policy, Adesina asserted that it was not entirely without merit and suggested that it had played a role in certain positive outcomes.
This revelation provides a unique glimpse into the personal reflections of a former Nigerian President, shedding light on the complexities and challenges of leadership in a nation facing various socio-economic issues.
