Former presidential aide and journalist, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has recalled how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and himself escaped being involved in an accident on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos
According to Ojudu, the incident happened shortly before Tinubu became governor of Lagos State
He made the disclosure in an open letter to Tinubu on Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary
He used the opportunity to also urge the President to review policies he said had made life increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians
According to him, the incident occurred at about 130am when Tinubu’s driver, the late Mustapha, reportedly fell asleep at the wheel while returning from the residence of a senior security official in Ikoyi.
He said the vehicle struck the bridge railing, but both men survived the crash
“On our way back, at about 130 a.m., your driver, the late Mustapha, fell asleep at the wheel on the Third Mainland Bridge. The car struck the railing. We were fortunate to escape with our lives,” Ojudu recalled.
He said Tinubu subsequently asked him to drive them to Alausa, despite the fact that he had never driven a car with an automatic transmission
“Somehow, I got us there,” he added
Ojudu said he recalled the incident because it illustrated the length and nature of his relationship with Tinubu, which he traced to their days in the struggle against military rule and Tinubu’s campaign for the Lagos governorship
He said shortly before Tinubu’s election as governor, he had taken him to the residence of a senior security official, Ibrahim Solomon, in Ikoyi over fears that the election could be rigged against him
According to Ojudu, Solomon assured them that the security apparatus would ensure fairness and subsequently kept his word
Following Tinubu’s electoral victory, Ojudu said he helped manage the transition committees and inauguration programme, but declined an offer to take a position in the new administration
He said he opted to return to journalism because he believed Tinubu needed at least one person outside the government who could speak honestly to him without seeking personal advantage
“During your eight years as governor, that was the role I tried to play I did not come to you seeking an appointment or a favour for myself,” he said.
Ojudu recalled that Tinubu’s then Chief of Staff, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, would sometimes see him at the governor’s office and jokingly ask, “Our opposition has come What have we done wrong again?”
He said it was in the same spirit that he had chosen to write the open letter despite the strained relationship between them and his decision not to support Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign
Ojudu said the two men had not seen each other since 2022 and that he had openly stated that he neither worked for Tinubu’s election nor voted for him in 2023
He, however, said two recent sermons on hunger and poverty eventually persuaded him to publicly communicate his concerns to the President