Femi Adesina, the former Special Adviser on Media to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that Buhari had some regrets about certain aspects of his administration’s actions. Adesina shared this insight during a media event called “Media Dialogue with Femi Adesina,” organized by the Association of Veteran Journalists in Osun State.
He recounted that before leaving office, President Buhari had a two-hour conversation with him in which they discussed various matters. During this conversation, Adesina asked Buhari about his regrets, and while he did not specify the exact nature of those regrets, Buhari acknowledged that certain things might have been done differently.
Adesina defended some of the administration’s actions, including the controversial naira redesign policy, which he acknowledged caused hardship for Nigerians. However, he argued that the policy had some positive outcomes, such as a reduction in crime, particularly kidnapping, and a reduction in electoral manipulation during the 2023 polls.
He also pointed out that the policy had an impact on political contests, with nine serving governors failing to secure Senate seats during elections, which he attributed to the reduced availability of cash for vote buying.
Adesina concluded that while there were issues with the policy, it was not entirely without merit, and he highlighted that the challenges faced during the administration should not be solely attributed to President Buhari, suggesting that it was a collective experience for all Nigerians.