Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has said that his principal could not be compared with the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
In an article Adesina wrote, on Thursday, “PMB and The Futurologists”, the spokesman mocked the then military ruler for refusing to leave Aso Rock because he was scared of prophetic visions and predictions.
Mr. Adesina disclosed that a cleric told Buhari to send emissaries to him with bags of money, so he could pray and stave off the tragedy.
Noting that the President was busy with international travels at the period the ‘prophet’ mentioned, no accident or incident happened.
“That was what the marabouts did to Sani Abacha, that he remained holed in Aso Rock. Between November 1993 and June 1998 that he was head of state, you could count both local and foreign trips he made on the fingers of one hand.
Mr. Adesina recalled that there was a time plenty of hype had been made on his visit to Oyo State, to commission the Asejire Water Scheme.
The aide said the state was agog with expectations, and a holiday had been declared, only for Abacha not to show up, after being “caged by the futurologists”.
“At another time, he had been confirmed to visit Lagos, to commission projects, including the Marwa Gardens, in Alausa area of Ikeja.”
“Visiting Lagos would have been good for Abacha himself. The city had been put under lockdown. At the last minute, Abacha refused to show up. Caged again by the horizon scanners, who always see negative, never anything positive.
“It was said that in the few times the head of state ventured out of the fortress called Aso Rock, he would lock up all the Service Chiefs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, until he returned”, the essay read.
