- Garba Shehu said Nigerians misunderstood Buhari’s humour and often reacted harshly to his light-hearted comments.
- According to Shehu, Buhari disliked tense settings and used humour to connect easily with people.
A former presidential aide, Garba Shehu, has explained why late President Muhammadu Buhari often found himself at odds with Nigerians.
Shehu made the comment during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday.
He said Buhari, who died at 82, was misunderstood because Nigerians do not appreciate humour from their leaders.
“Shehu said: “I think this thing you said now is more sense of him. You know, he never liked frozen environments. Whenever he entered a room, or for a meeting or conversation of any sort, he would crack [a joke]. He would enliven the atmosphere. And people got enough and enjoyed his presence.”
He described the late president as someone who enjoyed telling and hearing stories.
He said this habit contributed to the backlash Buhari faced, as many Nigerians took his jokes too seriously.
“He liked to hear stories. He told stories, and this is what got him into trouble with Nigerians a lot of the time, because I think Nigerians don’t like jokes,” he said.
“So when a leader jokes on any given issue, they take him seriously, and then they come after him and all of these attacks.”
The former presidential aide described Buhari as “a very pleasant person to be around”.
“You would feel relaxed, because the moment you come to him, he disarms you with his humour, with his charm, with the humour, and then you get to discuss business with him in a very relaxed situation,” he added.
“But as I said, you know, a lot of the time he cracks a small joke, and then people take it seriously. And then they begin to come after him.”
Buhari died on Sunday at the age of 82.
He passed away at the London Clinic and will be buried today.