The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, said the “Enemy of the State” who leaked Buhari’s draft speech on Monday was “already answering for his evil action”.

The social media had been awash with President Buhari’s draft speech a few hours before he addressed Nigerians on Monday, April 27th, 2020.

The draft, though filled with typographical errors and other issues, was somehow similar to the speech read by Buhari.

The major difference was that the draft speech stated that the COVID-19 lockdown in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States, would end on Saturday, May 2nd, 2020.

However, the president in his address said the lockdown would be gradually eased in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun effective Monday, May 4th, 2020.

Reacting on Friday through his column, “From the Inside”, the Special Adviser said

an Enemy of the State struck in Nigeria on Monday, the person was guilty of sabotage and does not wish his own country well at all.

He said,

I took a look at the circulating document, and within one minute, I knew that it was a rogue copy.

I made a few phone calls to those of us involved with the script, right from origination, which was from outside the Presidency, to final editing, which I did, and the conclusion was easy to reach.

Who would do such a thing, except an Enemy of the State, someone who wants to ridicule the government?

But he forgot that in these days of technology, almost everything leaves a trail. Before the end of that evening, computer evidence had narrowed down the suspect, and he was already answering for his evil action.

The President’s spokesperson lamented that some media outlets fell for the “sinister” trap of the individual, as they published the “May 2” date, contrary to the “May 4” date later announced by President Buhari during the live broadcast.

There is a way we release information from the media office of the President. And the media knows it. If a presidential speech was to be given ahead, there would be an embargo on it for a particular time. The circulating copy bore no embargo, yet they fell for it and got embarrassed by publishing inaccurate information,

he said.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.