The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah has hit back at the aides of President Muhammadu Buhari over their response to his Easter message.
Femi Adesina had on Monday berated Bishop Kukah and others who criticise the Buhari administration over the state of the nation, accusing such critics of trying to divide the country.
Addressing Kukah, Adesina said those who divided Nigeria with their mouths and evil talks are accusing the President of the same.
And in response, the cleric pointed out that back in 2015, when General Muhammadu Buhari declared violence if he did not win the presidential election, he was the one that brought him and former President Goodluck Jonathan to the table to sign the Peace Accord.
Bishop Kukah recalled that at this critical time in the country’s history, while he fought to ensure that the 2015 election did not result to bloodletting, agents of the current administration such as Femi Adesina, Lai Mohammed and Garba Shehu were working for Orji Kalu, Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, respectively.
The cleric, who spoke to Arise TV’s Reuben Abati, who was also a former media aide to Jonathan, suggested that Lai Mohammed, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu have no right to speak back to him when he talks about issues concerning a country he had stood to defend at its most critical moments.
Speaking to Mr. Abati, Bishop Kukah said, “Remember the General Buhari’s famous statement about the [2015] election and the outcome when he made a famous statement, [saying] that if the election did not succeed it would be ‘blood for the monkey, blood for the dog?’That it was going to be fight to finish?
“All of us were aware of the tension that existed in the country as of that time. I’m humbled that I was critical and central, led by Abdulsalam Abubakar, in getting both men to sign the Peace Accord.
“The point I’m trying to make is that that morning, two days to the election, when General Buhari had finally agreed, we’ve been able to track him down and he had agreed to meet with us by 8:am in the morning, we didn’t know how to reach President Jonathan because he [Jonathan] had told us he was flying to Asaba at 9am that morning.
“If you [Abati] could remember, I called you on the phone and told you we had a text of the Peace Accord that Jonathan had to sign. ‘Can you help take the text to him?’ I asked you. And you took it to him and he signed. I was able to persuade President Jonathan to sign the Peace Accord.
“I’m saying this because I’m not a stranger to the process we’re in. While we were sweating and doing all these things, Femi Adesina was being paid a salary by Orji Kalu. He was doing a good job in the Sun as a journalist.
“Garba Shehu was working for Atiku. Lai Mohammed was working for Tinubu. Everybody should answer their fathers’ names.
“I can say that the reason why I’m emotional and passionate about the things of this country is that I’ve paid my dues. Let each and everyone of my critics tell me where they were at the most critical moment of Nigeria’s history.”
