President Buhari More Popular Than Awolowo, Azikiwe, Other Past Presidents – Femi Adesina

Femi Adesina, Special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has said that the President attained a huge acceptance among Nigerians even more than heroes who led Nigeria’s independence.

Adesina said this on Thursday in an article titled, “The Essential Buhari: VP Osinbajo Got It!”.

The presidential spokesman referred to a comment made by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo during a trip to London last weekend.

According to Vice President Osinbajo, “the President is possibly the most popular Nigerian politician that we ever had in generations.”

Osinbajo further said that “he (Buhari) is possibly the only person, who can go into a place or somewhere without bossing people to gather and they will come and listen to him speak.

“I am old enough to have seen our colourful and even swashbuckling politicians in action. I have seen the great Obafemi Awolowo. The charismatic Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik of Africa). Shehu Shagari. Amino 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.

Adesina also said, “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. And that is why VP Osinbajo is right to have described him as possibly ‘the most popular Nigerian politician that we ever had in this generation.”

Adesina maintained that he has personally enjoyed the love, loyalty, and dedication Buhari enjoys from Nigerians regardless of tribe, religion, or age. He added that it is above the acceptance that has been given to other politicians both past and present.