Major-General Buhari: Femi Adesina Replies Punch

Femi Adesina, special adviser to President Buhari’s on Media and Publicity, has reacted to Punch newspaper’s decision to henceforth address the president by his military rank of Major-General and his government as ‘regime’ in view of what it calls ‘Buhari’s constant disobedience of court orders.’

Adesina writes;

”A newspaper says it will henceforth address President Muhammadu Buhari by his military rank of Major General. Nothing untoward in it.

It is a rank the President attained by dint of hard work before he retired from the Nigerian Army. And today, constitutionally, he’s also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

All over the world, just as in our country, a large number of retired military officers are now democrats. It does not make those who didn’t pass through military service better democrats than them.

Rather than being pejorative, addressing President Buhari by his military rank is another testimony to free speech and freedom of the press, which this administration (or regime, if anyone prefers: it’s a matter of semantics) has pledged to uphold and preserve.”