‘One of the Toughest Decisions I Made as a Minister’: Lai Mohammed Opens Up
- The immediate past minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, has opened up one of the toughest decisions he took while in office
- Mohammed mentioned the suspension of the microblogging platform Twitter, now known as X, as one of the toughest decisions as a minister
- The former minister during late Muhammadu Buhari's administration explained the circumstances surrounding the move
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - The immediate past minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, said suspending microblogging and social networking platform Twitter, now known as X, was one of the toughest decisions he made while in office.
Legit.ng reports that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration suspended Twitter in June 2021 for allegedly sponsoring activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.
Source: Getty Images
Mohammed explained how the decision to suspend Twitter was taken in his new book “Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined An Administration, launched in Abuja on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
As reported by TheCable, he gave two reasons why shutting down Twitter at the time was a tough decision for him.
The former minister gave a detailed account of how Buhari's government reached an agreement with the owners of Twitter to resume operations after the blackout in the new book.
“First, the impact it would have on Nigerians who used the platform to advertise their goods and services or as influencers.
“Second, the optics it would project regarding the government’s commitment to freedom of expression and the opening up of the democratic space.”
The former minister, however, said “none of the reasons outweighed the threat to national security posed by the irresponsible use of Twitter.
He noted that “in governance, public interest must always take precedence over individual interest.
Lai: I almost resigned from Buhari’s govt
Recall that Mohammed launched his book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration
Mohammed said the book offers an insider account of government communication during the Buhari administration.
The Kwara politician stated that he nearly resigned from office during the toughest moment of the Buhari administration.
Source: UGC
Read more stories on Lai Mohammed:
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- “How We Discredited Negative Narrative of Rigging 2023 Elections,” Lai Mohammed Speaks
- How Fake News Nearly Ruined My Marriage, Lai Mohammed Narrates
- What My Wife Did after Reading Online that I Had $1.3bn in Foreign Account, Lai Mohammed Apeaks
- Buhari’s Ex-Minister, Lai Mohammed, Bags Foreign Appointment
- "No President-Elect' Remark": Buhari's Top Minister Faults Peter Obi's Silence on Datti-Ahmed's Interview
Lai speaks on Lekki toll gate massacre
Legit.ng also reported that Lai Mohammed restated that no deaths occurred at the Lekki toll gate during the 2020 EndSARS protest.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time, he described reports of a massacre at the toll gate as “fake news.
Mohammed argued that five years on, no family had reported missing relatives linked to the toll gate incident.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
