Femi Adesina, former media adviser to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has strongly refuted persistent claims that the former Nigerian leader was a religious bigot.
In a personal tribute shared after Buhari’s passing at the age of 82, Adesina cited a poignant moment in 2013 that, for him, disproved the widespread narrative.
Recounting the funeral of his mother in Lagos in August 2013, Adesina described how Buhari — then a retired general and controversial political figure — attended the Christian service, despite accusations at the time that he was intolerant of other faiths.
“My mother, that stately, urbane woman, had died in August 2013, aged 75,” Adesina wrote.
“We were having part of the obsequies in Lagos, and I’d invited many people, including Major General Buhari.
”What surprised Adesina most was that Buhari not only showed up but remained throughout the entire Christian ceremony.> “To my utmost shock, he came! And not only that, he stayed through the Christian ceremony,” he said.For Adesina, the moment was eye-opening and deeply symbolic.
“Bigot? That’s the man they say never wants to hear about any other religion, except Islam. A man who wanted to Islamize Nigeria. My respect for him went several notches higher,” he remarked.
Buhari, who died in London on July 13, 2025, had long faced criticism from some quarters for allegedly favoring Muslims during his presidency.
Adesina’s reflection offers a rare, personal counterpoint to that perception — suggesting a more complex and tolerant man behind the headlines.
